Princess
by Shay Blair
Summary: The world needs saving again, but this time it's just Robin and his "princess." Who will he choose? And who is after Raven? Emotions flare, secrets are revealed, and a new threat emerges. Pairing: Rob/Rae
1. Party

My first fanfic, so please be nice.

The pairing is Rob/Rae, with some BB/Rae later on.

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Violet eyes looked with amusement upon the scene. Cyborg was trying to balance the huge dessert, Beast Boy trying to hang the decorations, and Robin attempting in vain to produce a half-decent song out of the group. She sighed and reached out to help: levitating the cake and lifting the decorations with her magic while tapping Robin on the shoulder and murmuring, "give up." The three boys turned to her and grinned.

"Thanks Raven," they chorused.

"Just in time," Robin said, his ear at the door. "Hide!"

Beast Boy turned off the lights just as Starfire came in. "Hello! Hello? I am not liking this silence!"

"Happy 16th birthday!" everyone yelled as they jumped out. Even Raven was smiling. Having put the fear and dread of her disastrous birthday far behind her, she was free to enjoy the others' birthdays.

"I thank you so much!" Starfire exclaimed. "It reminds me of my home planet. Although there, as I am a princess, the parties were grander."

"Well, I'm sorry we can't offer that here," Robin said.

Starfire smiled. "No, it is better here. There is more love here."

"Do you miss being treated like a princess?"

"Sometimes. But I feel like a queen on Earth. And I have real friends here."

As they ate the cake, Beast Boy asked, "So whose birthday is next?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Raven. She held their gaze for a moment, then looked down. "Mine."

The Titans paused and remembered what had happened on Raven's last birthday almost a year ago. Raven had almost died, and the world was almost destroyed forever.

"Hey, my birthday phobia is over," Raven said in a forced tone, still looking down. "You can talk about it."

"How old are you turning?" Beast Boy asked curiously. "I mean, when I looked at your file, I was so surprised that it was actually your birthday I didn't look at the year. And you've locked the file since…"

Raven looked at their curious and expectant faces. "Why don't you try to guess?" she suggested.

The other Titans immediately fell into a heated discussion. Raven didn't look very old, but she had a childish haircut and her cloak covered her figure. And looks could be deceiving. On the other hand, Raven always acted like the oldest, by being the wisest and most mature. Although she did have her moments… Then, Beast Boy had an idea.

"Her last birthday must have been and important number, otherwise, well, you-know-who probably wouldn't have chosen it. So 16!" he finished triumphantly.

The other Titans looked at each other in surprise.

"Beast Boy!" Raven said in mock shock. "That actually made sense!"

He puffed up his chest. "I try."

After singing Happy Birthday moderately well, playing party games, and eating more cake, the Teen Titans retired to their bedrooms. Robin entered his, but instead of feeling his usual peace at the sight of his safe haven, he felt unease. He pulled out his staff.

"Who's there?" he called out quietly, not wanting to wake the others.

At his words, three figures materialized out of nowhere. Robin stiffened, but he felt no hostility coming from them. They were about the same height, with their faces in shadows. They wore cloaks made of sleek black and grey feathers with hoods covering their faces. The clothes that could be seen peeking out from beneath looked bright, multicoloured, and strangely regal. The one in the middle stepped forward and inclined his head at Robin, seemingly out of respect. He seemed like the leader of the group.

"Robin," he said softly. "An honour to meet you."

"And you too," Robin replied cautiously. "Or I would, if I knew who you were."

The man laughed and bowed gracefully. "Heron, at your service. The three of us bear a warning to you and the rest of your team."

"I'm listening."

"There is a threat coming that will threaten everyone. Only you and your princess cam stop it."

"Princess, huh? Does that make me a prince?"

"If you wish to interpret it that way."

"And who is my 'princess'?"

"She is the one you are meant to be with. She is the light in the darkness," he said majestically, then added in a matter-of-fact voice, "And, she is actually a princess, as well as very close to you."

"Ummm, okay," Robin said confused. "Wha-"

"The decision is up to you," Heron said, before the three faded away.

Robin stood there for a minute, his staff still raised, unsure if what just happened was a dream or not. He walked over to where they had been standing and knelt down. There were marks in the carpet, indicating people had been standing there. He looked over at his desk. There was a feather there which looked exactly like the ones from the strangers' cloaks.

"So they were real," he said aloud. "Then who is the girl they were talking about?"

I only know one princess, he thought, then smiled. Starfire. He wouldn't mind if she was the princess they meant. And that 'meant to be with' stuff? He sighed and went over to his bed. He'd figure it out in the morning. Despite these thoughts of Starfire, a different face flashed in his mind as he fell asleep.

One with violet eyes.

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Reviews are necessary for updates. Let me know if any of them seem out of character.

So please stick with me, and you won't regret it!


	2. A New Face

Thank you to all of you who reviewed, I'm very grateful for such a warm reception to my first story. You are all very kind.

Regina lunaris: Thank you for telling me Star seems OOC, I'll try my best. Am I doing well at writing her way of talking?

Please tell me if anyone else seems OOC.

I know it may seem like most of it is talking, but that's because the way I write it in my head is by picturing what it would be like as a show.

I do not own Teen Titans (I wish I did), but I do own my OCs (the villains).

"So that's what happened," Robin finished.

"Ah man, another threat to the whole world?" Beast Boy complained.

"Robin," Starfire said. "I do not mean to put myself forward, but…"

"You're the only princess I know who is close to me," Robin finished.

"Yeah, that's right," Cyborg said.

"I don't know any other princesses," Beast Boy chimed in. "Right Raven?"

She looked down, avoiding his eyes. "Uh, right." She raised her head, looking steadily at Robin. "But what aren't you telling us?"

Everyone turned to Robin who suddenly seemed extremely uncomfortable. Not knowing what something had said the strangers had meant, Robin hadn't told the team everything. He grumbled, then looked up and quickly muttered the rest.

"They may have said that the princess was the 'light in the darkness' and the one I was 'meant to be with.' "

Starfire looked ecstatic, Cyborg laughing, Beast Boy teasing, and Raven suddenly very quiet. Cyborg stood between the two, thrust their hands together and began conducting a mock wedding ceremony.

"Do you, Robin, take Starfire to be your kinda lawfully partnered princess? And do you, Starfire, take Robin to be your kinda lawfully partnered prince?"

"Haha Cyborg,"Robin said, pulling away. "But, will you Star? You don't have t-"

Starfire cut him off by jumping on him and hugging him so hard he couldn't breathe. She exclaimed her joy and agreement over and over again like it was a real proposal until Robin turned blue and she finally let go. He tried to start another sentence but she cut him off again, this time with a kiss. Robin was surprised at first, but soon began kissing Starfire back passionately. Beast Boy and Cyborg began whistling and singing "Robin and Starfire sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Their teasing caused Robin and Starfire to separate from embarrassment, their cheeks bright red. They each wore matching, silly grins. Raven turned and glided out of the room.

"I'll be meditating in my room."

Starfire turned to Robin. "Robin, does this mean you, like, me?"

He grinned and mock bowed. "Why yes, my princess."

"Princess? Hmmm," An unfamiliar voice said. Figures dressed all in black and wearing black masks dropped down from the ceiling, each springing into loose fighting stances. One alone stood normally, his body language relaxed and in control. Dressed all in black like the others, this one wore a cloak instead of form-fitting clothing. The cloak had a high collar and covered all of their body except a tiny sliver at the front. On the collar was a small gold symbol that Robin couldn't quite make out. A quick count told Robin that about 11 dark figures were surrounding the four Titans.

"What do you want?" Robin demanded as the Titans prepared to fight.

The cloaked figure moved into the light, revealing an older male with a twisted smile on his face. "Why, we want the princess. And such a pretty thing," he leered at Starfire.

The Titans shifted their positions to protect Starfire. "Starfire, contact Raven. Cy, protect Star. Beast Boy, with me," Robin ordered. "Titans, go!"

Cyborg stood with Starfire as she frantically tried to hail Raven over their comms. Robin and Beast Boy engaged the enemy, fighting multiple opponents at once as they tried to keep from being overwhelmed. Robin fought with all his might, to some degree of success, to protect his new love, finding strength he didn't know he had. Beast Boy was hard-pressed to keep up with the skill of their enemies, but he too was holding. Cyborg kept them at bay with his sonic blaster. Starfire was having difficulty with her task.

"I cannot reach friend Raven!" she cried.

"Deal with that later. Deal with them now!" Cyborg said, blasting two more. Despite there being only ten opponents and no matter how many times the Titans hit them, their enemies would not fall. The Titans were losing. Their enemies' cloaked leader stood off to the side, watching the battle. Starfire, who until now had stayed out of the battle and out of harm's way, began to fight when she saw her friends tiring. The cloaked leader engaged Starfire in battle, revealing his ability to fly. As they traded blows in the air, he grinned, amused.

"A pleasure to meet you, Princess Starfire. May I introduce myself?"

"You may," Starfire said warily.

"I am Damien. So, you are the prophesied princess?" He looked her up and down. "You look pretty enough."

Starfire cried out, insulted, and attacked him with a new determination. He parried all her attacks easily, occasionally striking back with a well-placed blow. He grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back.

"But are you strong enough?" He whispered in her ear. He threw her to the ground, then flew down to where she was struggling to get up. He hauled her up roughly by the arm and smirked. "Doesn't look like it."

Starfire looked around the room desperately. Her strength was gone; she could no longer struggle. Robin and the others were doing their best to fight their way over to her, Robin in particular. Robin had just gotten her, he didn't want to lose Starfire so soon. In spite of their efforts, they were fast tiring, and began taking more and more blows. Raven was nowhere to be seen and could not be reached, the possible reasons for it making Starfire fear for her friend. Robin and the others were fast falling, and could not last much longer. Was the prophecy of the princess to be ended before it even began?

So there's another chapter! Lots of action as well as some romance! And a cliff-hanger. You'll soon learn I love cliff-hangers!

Anyone OOC? I think I did well with Starfire. I don't know about you, but I can see her jumping on Robin like that. What do you think? And what do you think about my OCs? Even though you don't know much yet, do you like the way I introduced them?

Where is Raven? Will the other Titans fall? Is Starfire doomed? What do the strangers want with her?

All (well, some) will be revealed in the next chapter!


	3. Entrance

Okay, I'm doing my best to add description so there isn't as much talking, because that bugged me about the last two chapters.

Review Replies:

Regina Lunaris: I'm glad you think Starfire was better. I know I did her badly in the first chapter, but I needed her to say some things to get a point across. Now, I can focus on how she would react.

Johanna Clements: Um, thank you for the idea, but this is a Robin/Raven story, and I have another plot all planned out, which I hope you'll like. It's a good idea though, maybe you should write one like it yourself? Also, if I used that plot, everyone would know what was going to happen! And I can't have that, right? ;) My whole style is about plot twists. Out of curiosity, where did you get the name for the planet from?

Sandstorm95: Sorry, I won't kill Starfire. That would be mean. And don't worry; the BB/Rae isn't too important. It's just to add a little to the story. I do like BB/Rae, but I like Rae/Rob better.

Also, you may notice that I'm adding titles to my chapters. Hope you like them!

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"What's going on? Stop!" A voice ordered. "Let her go now."

Starfire looked up, daring to hope. Silhouetted in the doorway was a figure she could not see the details of. As it stepped into the light, Starfire cried in delight. It was Raven, forcefulness in her stance and steely determination on her face. Her hood was down and her cloak flowed out. She had a scratch on her cheek that was still oozing blood. She appraised the situation quickly. Based on Starfire being the princess, as well as her being held by the man who was clearly the leader, Raven could rightly assume they were the threat Heron meant. Raven stood at the top of the steps, her feet wide and hands on her hips. Her dark energy crackled around her and practically sizzled with her anger as she glared at Damien.

"Didn't you hear me?" Raven demanded, her voice cold and razor sharp. "I'm already really, really angry and have no patience for you. Let them go."

Just before Raven's entry, the other Titans had been caught by their enemies. They had each been forced into submission and were being held. They had no strength left, and none but the ever-hopeful Starfire dared hope Raven could overcome all of her opponents. All their enemies needed was to threaten one of the four Titans to stop Raven. If four Titans couldn't beat them working together, how could Raven?

Sensing this, Damien laughed in an almost indulgent tone. "Or what? Just surrender, little girl, and we won't have to go too hard on you. Your power is too low."

"Little girl?!" The energy surrounding Raven blazed up. "Now you're in for it."

Damien laughed again, condescendingly this time. "Good luc-"

He was cut off by a lightning bolt from Raven. Her power had formed a funnel above her, and a cloud above that. Her power had struck like lightning, sudden, without warning, and powerful. Raven's eyes had turned black, but that was the only indication Raven had done anything. She had struck without moving.

Damien struggled to his feet, retaining his grip on Starfire. "Powerful, little girl!" he mocked her. "But not powerful enough."

"'Little' again!" Raven flared. "Nothing but 'low' and 'little'! That was a warning. Let. Her. Go."

"I think I'll keep the pretty princess." He pulled a knife on Starfire. "Surrender."

Those of his comrades who were holding the Titans also pulled out knifes.

Robin bowed his head, a final submission. He had held his head high, ready for an opportunity for escape, but now it seemed hopeless. Starfire was caught, the other Titans threatened. Raven was trapped, held by her friends' captivity. All around the room, the Titans bowed their heads, accepting the seemingly inevitable. Even Starfire recognized the situation. Robin stole a glance at her and stifled a righteous scream. His beautiful, innocent, optimistic princess was being held by a detestable, loathsome, perverted, evil man. Her ever-present optimism appeared shattered, and she sagged in the man's grip. He looked back at Raven and almost cried. Ironically, her expression alone stayed defiant. Robin began to feel a twinge of hope. Maybe Raven knew something they didn't. But Raven suddenly drooped, her gaze and her hands lowering. Her cloud of power disappeared, and she appeared beaten. For some reason that sight touched something deeper than it had with Starfire.

Beast Boy gazed at Raven, admiring her for holding out so long. She looked, beautiful. That defiant look in her eyes, the way she stood like she would never give up or give in. The way she made him feel like she would take care of everything. Her strength accentuated her ethereal aura, lending her invincibility. Coming from Raven in particular, such hope and confidence lent Beast Boy hope. How could he not feel hope when confronted with such a determined beauty? Even when she bowed her head in submission, she was indescribable. Beast Boy's spirits fell, but his admiration did not. With her head bowed and posture defeated, she was a hero. Raven was sacrificing herself to protect her friends, and her delicate limbs shook as she muttered defeat. Beast Boy was seized with the sudden desire to hold her and protect her.

She deserved better than this.

"Raven," he whispered, wanting to cry and scream, but merely bowed his head.

Cyborg felt his heart break as Raven surrendered. It clearly pained her to give up hope and give in instead of fighting. It went against what she believed. But what else could she do? Raven was his little sis, and it pained him to see her defeated and out of hope. At least the captured Titans had been able to go down fighting. She had a terrible choice. Raven had been through so much to regain her ability to hope. She didn't deserve to be forced to submit because of them being held hostage. Maybe it would have been better for her to have come after everything was over…

"I'm sorry Rae," he murmured, and bowed his head.

The Titans bowed in defeat to their enemies. As two of their enemies made their way over to Raven to subdue her, Starfire despaired. _What can be done?_ She thought. Raven would have to take them all out simultaneously. She looked to watch as they drew to three feet away from Raven. She was about to look away, unable to watch, when what began happening rendered her incapable of looking away. All she could do was watch as events unfolded rapidly. Starfire dared not even blink.

In an instant, just as the enemy began to ascend up the steps, Raven's power flared, and she stood battle-ready once more. Her energy did not even bother with a cloud this time. It simply struck, lightning-fast and unstoppable. Starfire could barely see it strike. Simultaneously, all their enemies dropped as if they had suddenly decided to all just fall. Raven teleported to where their leader was writhing on the ground beside Starfire. She watched in amazement as Raven put her foot on Damien's stomach, her energy crackling.

"I said," she growled, "I have no patience for you."

He grinned through the pain. "Too bad you're not the princess. They might actually stand a chance."

He cried as Raven slammed him against the ground. She picked him and the others up and threw them into the water, where the Titans could see a boat come and pick them up.

There was a moment of shock, and then the Titans swarmed Raven.

"Friend Raven!" Starfire exclaimed, hugging her. "That was wonderful!"

"Good job Raven," Cyborg said, patting her shoulder. He punched the air. "Booyah!"

"Awesome Rae," Beast Boy said. "You were like, let them go! Then they were like, stop! Then you were all, zap!" He grinned idiotically.

"How did you do that?" Robin asked simply.

Raven's dark energy began to fade as the danger receded. "Uh, thank you, I agree, no comment, and I don't know. I was so worried about you, and already irritated…"

"Why?"

"Yeah and where'd that scratch come from?" Beast Boy pointed out.

Raven's hand flew to her cheek, as if to cover up the bloody scratch she had forgotten about. She looked at the Titans' expectant and curious faces.

"And, friend Raven?" Starfire asked. "Why did you not answer your communicator when we were first calling you for help?"

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Cliffy! Mostly because I love cliffhangers, and also because I really needed to end the chapter!

Can you spot the Shakespeare reference? Imaginary cookies for you if you do!

Wow! That was longer than I expected. I was going to make this a short chapter to wrap up the battle, but this new writing style I've been trying out kind of took over. Every time I thought I was going to end it, it kept going. This chapter REALLY had a mind of its own. Sorry it did drag on a bit, I wanted to get each of the Titans perspectives, and show how much they cared for her, each in their own different ways. Plus, I really like making things seem hopeless! ^^

You may have noticed how I tried to get into the characters' heads and show how they think while still staying in third person. I try to get all of them, except for Raven. Why? Because she knows things I don't want to reveal yet.

IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!

Okay everyone. I am going to do my best to update fast. I know what it's like when authors don't update. At the same time, I am only one girl, and now that summer is over, I don't have as much time between school and drama productions. If I take a long time, I am either very busy or I'm working extra hard on the chapter.

Also, this is not my only story. I have others posted on Fictionpress under Shay Blair. So not only do I have responsibilities in the real world, I have a responsibility to my readers on Fictionpress. I hope you understand, and I promise I will do my absolute best.

See you next chapter!


	4. Answer

Okay, here's another chapter! I may not completely go with Johnna Clements' idea, but I will take the idea of a date. So enjoy what I have so far!

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All the Titans stared intently at Raven, expecting an explanation for her strange disappearance. She'd been surprised by the fact that there were intruders, so she clearly hadn't been held up by a run-in with them. At the same time, the cut on her cheek seemed to suggest some sort of scuffle. Raven stared right back, her tendrils of power fading along with her righteous anger. Her rigid posture relaxed, and she was left with a slight tinge of red, conscious of the intensity of the Titans' curious looks.

"Well?"

Raven ran through different scenarios in her head. She had planned on having more time to think of what to say when she decided to go back. Problem was, she had gotten caught up in the fight for her friends' lives. She looked at bubbly Starfire and concerned Cyborg, worried Beast Boy and demanding Robin, and made her decision.

"After you announced Starfire being your princess, I was so," she hesitated, pursing her lips, "happy, all of a sudden I had to leave before I broke something. I made it to my room when my power exploded. Nothing too bad happened, but my mirror shattered, giving me this," she motioned to her cheek, then held up a mangled communicator. "And this broke."

"I'll fix that right away," Cyborg volunteered, taking it from her.

"Then I heard the commotion and came in. You know the rest," Raven finished.

"Hooray! Then friends, shall we do the ritual of celebrating?" Starfire cried happily, glomping Robin.

Raven turned away. "You guys go ahead. After all of this, I _really_ need to meditate."

Robin shook off Starfire and chased after Raven. He caught up to her and grabbed her arm. She shook him off and kept going.

"Raven." Something in his voice stopped her.

"What is it Robin?" Emotionless.

"You and I both know someone lied back in there."

"And?" Turning to leave.

"Raven!" Desperate. "Let me in. Please."

"No. Why do you care anyway? Go back to your _princess._"

"Raven, we all care about you. I care about you."

The dark girl turned to face her fellow bird. There was fear and hope in her eyes. Robin held his breath. Maybe this time she could trust them, trust him. Their faces were so close, he could almost… But she turned away and the moment was broken.

"I'm sorry Robin. Some things I can't tell to even you."

Robin was left standing on the stairs, wondering if Raven would ever open up.

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Robin walked back down the stairs, immersed in thoughts of the dark beauty. He walked back into the common room and faced the expectant looks. If Raven would open up to anyone, it would be Robin. But Robin merely shook his head and their confusion turned to happiness that Raven had told the truth.

"Is friend Raven alright?" Starfire. Oblivious along with the other two. But that wasn't fair. They didn't have the same bond with Raven as he did.

"Yeah, she's fine."

"Excellent!" Starfire said, clapping her hands.

"Hey Star," Robin said impulsively, but awkwardly. It was an interesting look for him. "Will, will you go on a, a date with me?"

"As a girl who is a friend?"

"Uh, well, yeah, I gue-"

Starfire cut him off, yelling "Yesyesyesyesyes!"

Robin smiled. This would prove to he liked Starfire to everyone, and would help him grow even closer to his love. And hopefully it would get those hauntingly fearful violet eyes out of his mind.

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Robin waited at the bottom of the stairs for Starfire. He had changed into a loose red shirt with the word 'Hero' emblazoned on it in Green. He wore jeans perfectly faded and torn, made so by himself. He took pride in getting that perfect look for his jeans. He kept his mask on, not wanting to take the chance of anyone in the city seeing him without his mask and somehow recognizing him. His hair was the same usual black spiky style that Starfire loved. He tapped his foot impatiently.

"What is it with girls?" he muttered. He had been waiting for half an hour on top of the 20 minutes it took him to get ready.

Finally, Starfire appeared at the top of the stairs and took Robin's breath away. _Well worth the wait,_ he thought to himself. She had tied the front strands of her hair back and left the back of her hair down. Her gorgeous red hair shone in the light and the style was perfectly suited to her. She had changed out of her usually uniform, with the perfect balance of casual and elegant Starfire had a knack for. She wore a light blue camisole overtop a pink baby tee. The camisole had the word 'Princess' across it in sparkly gold letters, a fitting logo for Robin's newfound princess. She did still wear her usual violet skirt, but changed from her violet boots to dark blue flats. Her face was flushed with excitement and she had a big smile on her face. She floated down the stairs, happy at the look of wonder on Robin's face.

"Do I look, pretty?" she asked.

"No. You look beautiful."

Starfire beamed at him and danced out the door. Robin followed, a huge smile on his face.

A silent pair of violet eyes followed them out.

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Sorry it's so short, but I wanted to get it up and it may take a while to get the date written because it could get long. So hopefully you guys can be satisfied with this for now.

I'll do my best to get the date written and put up, but my forte is not romance, especially RobStar


	5. Happiness and Despair

Okay, here's another chapter! First part of the date. For those of you who don't like Rob/Star, you still need to read this chapter for what happens with Raven. So no skipping!

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"Um, Robin, is this safe?"

"Of course Star. Hop on." He patted the seat. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do!"

She got on the back of his motorcycle.

He winked at her. "Hold on tight."

She gasped as the bike revved and tightened her grip on Robin. They flew out the door, Robin showing off his driving skills as Starfire squealed in delight. They sped through the city, the bike deftly twisting and turning under Robin's expert control. Starfire gazed around at Jump City. It still amazed her, the sights, smells, and sounds of the beautiful city. She loved her new home. She loved the good citizens, the mayor, even the criminals for giving her and her friends a purpose. She loved her friends most of all, her beloved Robin in particular. She snuggled up to him and smiled. He was kind, handsome, smart, and righteous. And he was hers.

Robin glanced back at Starfire and smiled. She was gorgeous, kind, innocent, and funny. And, by some twist of fate, she was his.

He pulled over and got off the bike, bowing to Star. "We have arrived madam."

Starfire giggled and hopped off the bike, taking Robin's hand. She looked around to see where they were, drinking in the sights. Some passerbys stared, surprised to see two Teen Titans out and about with no emergency and in street clothes. But for the most part, the others who had lived in the city longer just smiled, waved, and whispered about how nice it was that those two had finally gotten together. Starfire looked forward again at Robin, who smiled and began pulling her towards the entrance. They were at a movie theatre with only four movies playing. It was a small, old-fashioned theatre. It didn't have many rooms, but it was beautiful and had higher quality snacks, seats, and service. They looked at the movies offered.

"Pandorum, Love Happens, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Inglourious Basterds_."_ Robin read aloud, grinning at_ Inglourious Basterds_. He'd been dying to see that movie. Reviews said it was the best, goriest, most special-effects-filled movie this year. Everything anyone said was good. He was about to buy the tickets for it when he remembered he wasn't here alone or even with the guys. He glanced at Starfire, who was gazing longingly at the poster for _Love Happens._

Robin decided it was better to be a gentleman. "What do you want to see?"

"Love Happens!" Starfire shrieked, pulling Robin to the ticket seller.

They bought two tickets and walked into the room labelled _Love Happens._ They sat in the plush seats and watched the previews. They saved the popcorn until the movie started.

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"Hey Raven? Are you okay?" Beast Boy stood nervously at Raven's door. He was worried about her and wanted to talk, but was well aware of Raven's love for privacy.

Her door slid open and Raven stood in the doorway. Her room was so dark he couldn't see anything, could barely see Raven as she looked out reluctantly. Her cut was bandaged, her hood was up, and she looked annoyed. "What?"

"Can I come in?" he motioned to move around her but she blocked him at every step. "Are you hiding something?"

"No. If that's all you have to say, we're done here."

She shut the door and Beast Boy was left standing there. He walked off, determined to find out what Raven was hiding. He went up to the roof and sat there, gathering up the courage.

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By the end of the movie, Starfire had cried many times and snuggled up to Robin. Although Robin would never admit it, he liked the movie too. He loved cuddling with Starfire and he was glad he let her pick. He would never say out loud that he enjoyed it more than he would have enjoyed _Inglourious Basterds. _They sat in the lobby as Starfire calmed down. She sat right beside him, their thighs touching. Starfire leaned against him, her head on his shoulder, her hand resting on his leg. Robin had his arm around her shoulders, pulling her even closer.

Starfire finally calmed down and looked up at Robin. "What now Robin?"

Robin smiled and stood up, walking her out of the theatre.

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Five minutes later, Beast Boy decided it would be best to stop thinking and just do it. He changed into a mosquito and slid under Raven's window. With his limited vision, he could have sworn he saw multiple figures surrounding Raven. But once he was in the corner and had changed into a small cat to see in the dark, they had disappeared. Raven alone stood in the middle of the room.

Beast Boy looked around the room, eyes wide in surprise. Raven's room was actually, messy! A couple of things were overturned, and most of her stuff was scattered. Even her sheets had been thrown to the other side of the room. No wonder Raven kept her room dark and wouldn't let him in. For neat-freak Raven, this would be a disaster, something to be very ashamed of. But what would cause that? It looked like fig-

Raven's hood fell back and Beast Boy's breath caught as he saw her profile. Raven sank to her knees, her arms hugging herself, as Beast Boy watched in shock. Raven, the ice queen, who never showed emotion, was crying…

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O O  
o

Robin led Starfire to a sidewalk café a few blocks away. The hostess recognized the couple and led them to a private booth in the back. She winked at them. She too was glad they finally got together. Robin and Starfire sat down and looked at the menus. When the waitress came, Starfire bristled. The waitress, Sally, had clearly re-done her makeup, shortened her skirt, and had far too much interest in the famous Boy Wonder. Sally leaned over, exposing a little more than necessary.

"So what can I get you?" Sally addressed Robin. "Salad, soup, or something, else?" her voice lingered on the last word.

"Caesar salad," Robin said without looking up. "Star?"

"Nothing for me," Starfire said, staring at the waitress, telling her to back off. She flounced away.

All through the meal, the waitress tried to flirt with Robin, but he never noticed. He was too busy staring at Starfire. When the bill came, Robin snatched it up.

"I'll pay."

-----------------

Sorry for the cliffhangar with Raven, but if I don't end it here, it will be a LOT longer and you'll have to wait longer. So, cliffhangar but quick update!

Where did I get the movies? From what's out now and what was out last week.

Sally is random, she's really just there to show how loyal Robin is.

See you next time!


	6. Happiness and Despair Part 2

Second part of the date and more on Raven.

Enjoy!

------------------

Beast Boy wasn't sure what to do. Raven was crying and clearly in pain, so he wanted to comfort her. On the other hand, he had snuck into her room, and he would be in huge trouble if Raven found out. But watching her kneel, arms tightly wrapped around her, shaking while she cried, made Beast Boy's decision for him. He just couldn't watch her be so sad and feel so alone any longer.

Still a cat, he slunk up to her and nudged her arm, looking up at her. Raven's vision, filled with tears as it was, took a minute to recognize him.

"Beast Boy." Not cold or angry or even sad, but drained. "How…"

As usual, he ignored her question. He snuggled up to her for a minute, then changed back into his normal form. He put his arms around her, and she didn't resist. She just cried into his shoulder. Things in the room stirred as Raven cried. Some flew in the air but dropped as she regained her control. Beast Boy didn't want to ruin the moment by talking, so he just sat there and let Raven cry. Finally, he felt he had to speak.

"Raven, why are you crying?"

Raven looked at him, confused, as if truly seeing him for the first time. His voice had broken the spell cast by the despair she had felt. Raven had been so caught up in trying to keep her powers under control while breaking down she hadn't really processed his presence. Though he must have been the reason they left. She touched her cheeks and, reminded of her tears, suddenly felt self-conscious. She looked around the mess that was her room and felt even more embarrassed. Then she just felt anger. How dare Beast Boy invade her privacy! And he, he saw her crying.

"Get out," she hissed.

Beast Boy looked taken aback. "What?" he said, hurt at the venom in her voice.

"You heard me. Out."

"But-"

"Out!" she shrieked, hysterical.

Beast Boy ran, shocked, angry, and hurt at her change in demeanour, but understanding because of whatever she was going through. He didn't know what it was, but she was obviously very upset.

Raven watched him leave with fearful violet eyes.

o

O O

o

Robin took Starfire shopping next, bringing her to the trendiest stores. She inevitably found everything pink and insisted on trying all of them. It took three hours. Robin watched his new girlfriend become a whirlwind of clothing: shirts, skirts, boots, and jackets.

"Last one," she called from inside the change room.

"Alright."

He looked up as she exited the room. "Well?" she asked.

"You look great! Starfire, you look great in everything."

Starfire grinned and blushed at the compliment. She changed back into her clothes and chose the ones she would buy through a strange method known only to her. It contained baby blue clothing, green, purple, and a lot of pink. They went to the front of the store to pay. Robin winced at the price tags but pulled out his wallet anyway. The lady at the counter simply smiled and waved them away.

"Just take it honey," the saleslady said. "Goodness knows you do more than enough for this city. It's the least we can do in return."

Robin sighed in relief. Now he wouldn't have to pay for what would have been a huge amount. Something caught Robin's eye at one of the counters.

He turned to Starfire. "You go ahead, I'll be right there."

Confusion showed in Starfire's beautiful green eyes, but she went to wait at the motorbike. Robin walked over to the jewellery counter and pointed to two of the sets. He insisted on paying.

o

O O

o

Right after being kicked out by Raven, Beast Boy went to play video games to get those hauntingly sad violet eyes out of his mind. Three hours later, he was still there, playing mindless games that didn't require thinking. Thinking would only lead to Raven. He grew hungry and skipped into the kitchen, Raven successfully forgotten. He grinned. Cyborg was working on the T-car, so no one would be around to complain about his dinner.

"Tofu chicken!" he crowed happily, and set about making it.

He sat back, grinning the whole time. All that was left was the waiting.

"Tofu chicken?" A voice sounded behind Beast Boy.

He jumped up and spun around. Raven stood there, her hood down with no indication of her earlier breakdown. Her eyes were cast down and she slumped. At the sight of her, the memories of sneaking in and witnessing her crying flooded back, and Beast Boy felt awkward. He wasn't sure what to say or do after being so unceremoniously kicked out of her room.

"Uh, yeah," he said cautiously. Hoping she was here to apologize, "D-do you want some?"

"No." Hope down the drain. "But, could I join you?"

Beast Boy's hope surged back. "Definitely!"

The two of them sat at the table together in a comfortable silence, the ice having been broken, Raven sipping her tea, Beast Boy eating his tofu chicken. They both started talking at the same time.

"Beast Boy, I-"

"Raven, why-"

They paused.

"Sorry, you go first," they said in unison, then laughed.

Raven's laughter petered out and spoke nervously, looking down. "I just wanted to say I apologize for blowing up at you. I'm under some stress right now and I took it out on you."

"Hey, no problem." Beast Boy said happily.

They settled into a discussion of the merits of video games, with Beast Boy trying to convince Raven they were valuable inventions.

"What was it you wanted to ask me?" Raven finally asked.

"Well, Raven, why were you crying?"

Raven stood up abruptly and levitated to her room. Beast Boy, hating himself for ruining one of their few cordial conversations, chased after her. He berated himself. Of course Raven wouldn't want to answer. He had ruined the tenuous trust the two had built in the past few hours. He had to get it back. He stopped short at her door, which was locked from the inside.

"Raven?"

"Go away." Cold

"Please, what's wrong?"

"I came down to apologize. I apologized. I'm done."

"Can I come in?"

Raven reluctantly let him in, and they re-started their discussion, which eventually meandered around to the merits of being a vegetarian. The cordiality they had built up was restored, and Beast Boy left Raven's room on good terms with her once more.

o

O O

o

Across town, Robin led Starfire into the club. The flashing lights fascinated Starfire, and the meshing of bodies was hypnotic. The pulse of the beat quickly drew the couple in, and instinct took over. The club was like a whole other world where anything could happen, with its own laws. The thing was, there were no laws. With this world came a new language, the language of dance. Every single person in the club had their own accent of sorts, their own style. The flashing lights and pulsing sounds created the framework of the language, and every movement created the words. The walls, stage, bar, and DJ booth provided the structure of the world, the music, decorations, and lights gave it form. Yet all of this world would not be complete without the patrons. They were the life in this world. They provided the energy that made this world alive. They were ever-changing and evolving, and kept this world running. Bodies pressed against the couple, but no one felt self-conscious or embarrassed. This world, these laws, was separate from the outside. Once someone entered, they changed for the length of time they were in here. They could anyone they wanted here. No one worried about looking good. Here, standards changed. Robin and Starfire let go of their inhibitions and superhero identities and became just two more people dancing in this world created by its inhabitants.

A few hours later, they tired and went to get non-alcoholic drinks. Many had tried to flirt with them, but the happy couple was completely oblivious. Even in a new world, they only had eyes for each other. Robin stared lovingly at stunning Starfire, who was distractedly sipping her drink while watching the dance floor.

_Beautiful,_ he thought, then perked up. _Now may be the perfect time to give it to her!_

"Starfire?" he asked aloud. "Some up to the roof with me?"

"Of course Robin." So trusting and naïve.

Robin walked Starfire up to the mercifully empty roof. They went over to the edge, silently gazing out over the skyline of the city.

"Robin? Why are we up here?" Starfire asked, confused.

"I have something to give you, and tell you." He pulled out a small box from his pocket.

Starfire opened it and gasped with delight. Inside was a necklace and bracelet set. The necklace had three strands of pure silver, wound gently around one another in a kind of braid. A single pendant hung upon it, but it was more than enough. It represented her name, with the shape of an eight-pointed star fashioned out of a soft gold. The bracelet was the matching opposite, with three strands of gold wire with a star fashioned out of diamonds.

"Robin," Starfire said in awe. "It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," Robin said firmly, looking her straight in the eye. "I love you."

They drew closer and closer, shy but determined and completely in love.

"I love you too," Starfire whispered as their lips met.

o

O O

o

Cyborg came, bringing in pizza. Beast Boy refused, for it had meat. He did volunteer to tell Raven. As he walked up to her door, he heard her scream. He crawled under her door as a bug and jumped up as himself.

"Raven?"

She was on her hands and knees on the floor, gasping for breath. He ran over to her. "Are you all right?"

She looked up, surprised to see him. This time she understood him coming in. After her terrified scream, any of them would be justified in entering without permission.

"I'm, fine," she said hesitantly. "Just a nightmare."

"Are you sure?" Beast Boy asked, concerned. "You screamed really loud."

"I told you, I'm fine," she snapped, pulling away.

"Raven," Beast Boy said gently, reaching out to touch her arm. He had barely brushed it when she flinched. He stopped short.

"Since when does a nightmare hurt you?"

Cyborg chose that moment to rush in. "Raven, I heard you scream… Oh, BB. What's going on?"

"Raven had a nightmare that somehow managed to hurt her."

"No, it was just a nightmare," Raven said coldly.

"Then show me your arm."

Raven's eyes turned black and she forced them out. "Get out."

Cyborg and Beast Boy were left standing outside the door.

"Raven, let me in." Beast Boy.

"No." Cold.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"We both know that's a lie."

"And?" Leaving.

"Raven, let me in. Please. Let us help you." Pleading.

A long silence.

"I'm sorry Beast Boy. I can't."

Beast Boy was left standing there with Cyborg, wondering if Raven would ever open up.

o

O O

o

Starfire grinned as Robin pulled away from the kiss. What she didn't realize was he pulled away because of a sudden pain in his chest. He smiled at Starfire but inwardly panicked, trying to figure out where the feeling came from. _Raven…_ he realized. But, what would cause it? Distracted by Starfire, he forgot and the pain faded from his consciousness.

"Robin, do you trust me?" Starfire said breathlessly.

"Of course Starfire."

"Then come with me."

She pulled him off the rooftop, flying him through the air. He gasped at the shock but adapted and began enjoying the sights. The city looked remarkable from the air. He began to understand why Starfire loved flying. It truly was extraordinary. The buildings were at their height. Or, rather, they were at the height of the buildings. He could see the late workers in the offices, cleaning up or still working at desks. He could see the 20th story restaurants, with couples much like them. The cars below looked like beetles, and the people looked like ants. Starfire took them to right over the beach, and pulled Robin around to face her.

She kissed him, and lightning bolts went through Robin. She was beautiful, charming, innocent, and loving. She trusted him wholly and looked to him on matters she didn't understand. She was everything a guy could want, and many guys in Jump City did want her. She loved him, and he loved her.

Right?

They flew back to the Tower, enjoying the sight of waves crashing on the shore. Starfire was so giddy and high on happiness she sometimes flew a little too high. The returned, and stood on one of the rocks underneath the Tower, watching the tumultuous water.

"Robin?"

"Yes, Princess Starfire?" Because she was his princess.

"How much do you love me?"

"This much." He swept her into a kiss that seized them with a passion. Tongue against tongue, holding each other like this was the last time they would ever see one another.

Robin felt another pang, this time much harder, and broke the passionate kiss, gasping because of the strength. He looked around, expecting to see someone attacking. But it was merely emotional pain coming through his bond with Raven.

"Robin? Are you, all right?"

"It's Raven. Something's wrong with her."

Starfire trusted Robin implicitly, and didn't question how he knew. She just ran with him into the Tower to find out what was going on.

----------------

You may notice that (excluding the club scene, because it was writing about the club and not them) the scenes with Robin and Starfire got progressively shorter. That is because my ship is Robin/Raven, so I got bored writing Robin/Starfire. So I apologize for the shortness of those scenes, especially the kissing parts, but I don't like writing for ships I don't support.

So for fellow Robin/Raven fans, you won't have to wait much longer.

I don't know about you, but I found it fun switching back and forth from Robin and Starfire to Raven and Beast Boy, frivolous to dramatic. What did you think?

A bit of a longer chapter. See you next time!

Remember, review!


	7. Trust

Oops! Forgot to do review replies last few times. Sorry about that!

Review Replies

Animediva1706- I'm glad you like the scene switching, I found it really fun to write.  
RobinRavenLove- I agree, Robin is being an idiot.  
RobRae4Ever- Don't worry, the Rob/Rae picks up very soon.  
Loke16- I LOVE that movie! I wasn't thinking of it when I wrote this chapter, but it does seem like that.  
Happy Mooing Octopus and TeenTitansGirl- I always do my best to update quickly.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You're all amazing readers!

In case anyone is wondering, Raven did NOT see Robin and Starfire kissing. I did consider that, but then something in this chapter wouldn't make sense. The pain he felt from her was something else.

Note: There was a typo last chapter, sorry. Instead of Robin saying "Some up to the roof with me?" it should be "_Come_ up to the roof with me." I apologize for that and any future typos I might make.

-----------------

Robin and Starfire ran and flew through the front door and looked around. There was no one at the game station, and a running game flashed on the screen, a character standing around waiting for user input. An untouched pizza, now cold, lay on the table. Those two facts alone put Robin and Starfire on alert. Beast Boy and Cyborg would never leave a game unattended without at least pausing it, and would never, ever let pizza go cold. Starfire generated her starbolts, ready to attack, and Robin pulled out his staff silently. They tried hailing their teammates over the comms, but the two boys' comm units were on the table next to the pizza and Raven's was turned off. They checked the basement, the main level, Cyborg and Beast Boy's room, but found nothing.

"Raven's room," Robin said, speaking aloud what he had feared. That it was Raven who was in trouble. Beautiful, strong Raven who was his best friend. To think that she was in trouble, that the pain he felt through their bond was not because of worry over something or someone else, but because of her pain… Pain and worry of his own flooded through him.

Robin and Starfire approached Raven's room, seeing Cyborg and Beast Boy standing outside. Robin breathed a sigh of relief, until he noticed what they were doing and their expressions. Cyborg was standing against the wall opposite Raven's door, a defeated expression on his face, like he had given up hope. He stared at the floor, his arms crossed and his posture slouched. Beats Boy sat mutely on the floor, staring at Raven's door intently, as if it held the meaning of life. His eyes blank, he sat in silent contemplation of the door. Robin took a closer look at the door. It seemed as normal, without any damage, and it wasn't at all unusual for it to be closed. So why were Cyborg and Beast Boy lurking outside it so solemnly?

Robin cleared his throat to gain their attention.

"Friends?" Starfire asked. "Why are you sitting and standing outside the door of Raven?"

"Oh, you're back," Beast Boy said without looking up.

"Yeah, we are," Robin said, narrowing his eyes. "Why are you there? When we saw the abandoned game and pizza and couldn't contact you, we thought it was an emergency. Instead you're―what are you doing?"

"Hoping the door will open," Cyborg said simply. He didn't look up either.

"Why not just open it?"

"Or ask friend Raven to?" Starfire chimed in.

"She won't," Beast Boy said flatly. "We've been trying to get her to open it for twenty minutes now."

"That's ridiculous. Why wouldn't she let us in?" Robin's head snapped to Beast Boy as he thought of something. "What did you do?"

"Nothing."

"Sure. Then why won't she open the door?"

Beast Boy got up angrily, finally looking away from the door. "Maybe because she's hurting and doesn't want us to know. Something's bothering her and I can't get her to tell me. Maybe you would have noticed yourself if you weren't off with Starfire."

"That's out of line, Beast Boy. I know Raven's fine. She said so herself." He didn't mention the pain he had felt through their bond.

"Oh really?"

"Hey, hey, calm down," Cyborg said, looking up at Robin and Beast Boy. He addressed Robin next, "He's got a point though. You've been so wrapped up with Starfire you haven't really noticed what's going on with Raven."

All four Titans turned to look at her door. Silence reigned.

"You may be right," Robin said. "If you are, I can fix it." He strode over to her door and knocked once, twice, three times.

"Beast Boy, I told you to go away."

"It's Robin."

A short pause, and her door slid open. Beast Boy and Cyborg stared as Robin walked in calmly. When they tried to follow, the door was slammed shut by black energy. Beast Boy and Cyborg, this time along with Starfire, were left to stare at Raven's door once more.

"Starfire, why don't you go to your room," Cyborg said slowly. "This could be a while."

Starfire left, and Beast Boy turned to Cyborg.

"Why send her away?"

"She doesn't need to hear what they say."

o  
O O  
o

Robin entered Raven's room, a dark sanctuary for the girl. The lights were off, and he could barely see the outlines of her furniture. Everything was neatly in place as far as he could tell. As per Raven's usual, the place was impeccable. He squinted, trying to get a good look at the details but failing. There was too little light. Did Raven **any** lights on? Where **was** Raven? He couldn't see her, but with so little light, that was hardly a surprise. He slowly looked around the room as his eyesight gradually adjusted, not wanting to give away the fact that he couldn't find her. He was about to give up when he noticed a faint outline against the headboard of her bed. It appeared curled up, but he couldn't tell in the weak light.

"Raven?" he called softly, moving towards the shape.

It twitched, and he knew then it was Raven. As he drew closer, he could see her better. She was curled up, her knees drawn to her chest and her arms around her knees. Her cape was spread out around her, her hood down. Her face was in her knees. Robin drew even closer. He sat at the end of her bed, three feet away from the huddled girl.

"Raven." No longer a question. That time had passed. "Tell me what's wrong."

She raised her head slightly. "Just because I let you in doesn't mean I'll tell you."

"You let me into your room. Let me into your head."

"You don't need to know. You don't want to know."

"I'm your leader. I'm your friend. We have a bond. I thought we could trust each other." He moved closer to her.

"Why do you keep persisting?"

"I guess I just keep hoping you'll open up."

"Robin…"

She raised her head fully. Though Robin couldn't see it, her face was covered in tears. Robin moved even closer to the dark girl, putting his arm around her shoulders. She tensed, then relaxed.

"Raven, please tell me. I care about you. I care about how you're feeling."

She looked at him for the first time since he'd entered. She felt hope for the first time since this whole fiasco started. Maybe Robin could help… Maybe he even…

"You really care?" Tentative.

"Of course." Firm.

"I don't want the others to know yet."

"Fine. Please, trust me."

"Robin, for a while, these people from-" She stopped short, looking away.

"Go on."

"Are you sure you want to burden yourself with my problems?"

"Of course. I mean, I want to help. You're my best friend."

Raven exhaled sharply. She stiffened and shrugged off Robin's arm. Robin, confused by the sudden change, tried to put his arm back but she shook it off again.

"Right. Best friends."

"Raven?" Confused.

"Nothing. I should have known."

"Raven, please tell me what's going on."

"No, it's too late to expect that." She got up and walked over to her window. Robin followed her cautiously, stopping just behind her.

"But Raven-"

"Just leave."

Defeated, Robin turned and left her room. As he approached the door, he turned back to look at her. She still stood at the window, looking out at the night sky's horizon. She showed no sign of changing her mind. He turned and walked through the door. It clicked shut with a resounding finality. He looked up. Beast Boy stood in front of him, a furious look on his face. Cyborg just looked disappointed.

"What?"

-------------

See, if Raven had seen them kissing, she wouldn't have let Robin into her room. Then where would this scene be?

I'm sorry if you think I took longer to update this time, but I don't think I did. My internet has been dead for about a week, and I was lucky enough to get a chapter of this out just before it died.

Also, the next chapter may be shorter, depending on where I cut it off. However, shorter chapter means shorter update time! ;)

See you next chapter!

Shay


	8. Playing Both Girls

Another chapter! Beast Boy and Cyborg's discussion with Robin, and some action. The last few chapters have been more on relationships between characters, so the next few should have some (hopefully) good action.

Review Replies:  
REDLIONSAYSRAWR: Here's what happens next, thank you for the enthusiastic review!  
midnightangel16:Thank you, and I'll do my best to update fast.  
RobRae4Ever: Of course they know! It's pretty obvious to everyone but Robin and Starfire.  
Happy Mooing Octopus:I try my hardest to update fast, because I also know what it's like to wait. My writing does tend to be straight to the point, although I'm a lot more descriptive than I used to, my writing used to be A LOT shorter! And, as always, I shall update!  
RavenRobinLove: It makes me sad to see Raven unhappy, but I love torturing my favourite characters!

------------------

"What?"

"What?" Beast Boy growled. "Wha-"

"Beast Boy," Cyborg cut him off. "Robin, do you have any idea what you just did?"

"Yeah, I do. I tried to help a friend and she was about to open up when she suddenly shut down."

"Right, that's _definitely_ what happened. She just shut down for no reason. Come on Robin, you know better than that. Or you should."

Robin bristled at the implication that he didn't know his team. "Raven just wasn't ready to share."

Cyborg held his arms up in defeat. "If you won't listen to me, I'll let BB talk to you." He turned and left, calling back over his shoulder to Beast Boy, "He's all yours."

Robin turned to face Beast Boy, flinching at the death glare the changeling was giving him. He steeled himself for an angry confrontation with Beast Boy. He couldn't understand why Cyborg and Beast Boy were so angry. He hadn't done anything wrong. He'd tried to help his best friend and if she didn't want to open up, there was nothing he could do. It wasn't his fault, he'd done nothing wrong. And yet his fellow teammate seemed convinced he had...

Beast Boy's expression softened a little at the look of honest confusion on Robin's face. "You really don't know what you did."

"No, I don't."

"You really are clueless, worse than me. You're so blind you don't see what's right in front of you."

"Watch what you say Beast Boy. What do you mean by that?"

"Just that you should be glad Starfire didn't hear your conversation with Raven. She might have gotten the wrong idea. Just like Raven did."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Raven and I are friends."

"Maybe you need to make that a little clearer to her, just so there's no confusion."

Robin lost his temper. "That's it Beast Boy. You talk in riddles and insinuate that I don't know what I'm doing or even know my own team. What do you want me to do?"

Beast Boy narrowed his eyes, losing the little composure he had. "Stay away from Raven. Stop giving her the wrong idea. You're playing both girls, and I won't let you hurt Raven."

"Fine."

Beast Boy turned into an eagle and flew away without saying another word. Robin stood there, wondering what to do and what they meant when the alarms went off and he heard explosions. As he ran to the main room, he pulled out his communicator.

"Cyborg, report!"

"They're back," he said, confirming Robin's fears. They came back as they had promised.

o

O O

o

Cyborg held on as another set of explosions rocked the Tower. The five Titans, including a pale Raven, watched with various expressions. So far, the defences he had set up had held. But every explosion seemed a little louder and a little closer to penetrating the shield. Robin was talking rapidly, partly to himself, trying to come up with a plan. Starfire held onto her prince, white with fear. She didn't want this attack to succeed. She feared what they wanted with her. Their last attack had nearly succeeded. It had only failed because of Raven's anger, and this time their opponents had a lot more firepower at their disposal. Cyborg ran to the computers, almost falling as an explosion rocked the room. He looked at the screen, heart sinking at what it said.

Their opponents were using a sonic cannon, much like Cyborg's, combined with a rocket launcher. The normal shields (recently set up) had already been blasted, and the reserve shields were at 40% power. Ten more shots and those too would be gone. They had just under a minute until their powerful enemies were in the Tower. He turned back, his expression telling the other Titans the grim situation. Raven bit her lip, and settled into the Lotus position, floating four feet above the floor. She closed her eyes, focusing her chakra. When the next blast happened, she appeared unaffected.

To Raven, time slowed to a crawl. She blocked out her senses, focusing in on herself and her power. Nothing else mattered, including the explosions. Nothing else could be allowed to matter, or her concentration would be lost. She spent what felt like hours slowly gathering in all her power, but it was actually ten seconds. Her eyes, now a pure black, flew open and she spoke a spell her team hadn't heard her utter before. The only one who had was the dragon who broke her heart.

"Uso Ulinzi mduara," she chanted, to her teammates' surprise.

Almost immediately, a black sphere of energy concentrated in her hands. It quickly expanded, flowing through the Titans and the Tower, stopping just inside the failing reserve shields. Seconds after the spell was put in place, the ship carrying Damien and his followers fired the catalytic shot, shattering the reserves. They were about to move in when they hit the black shield. Damien frowned at this development. The black magic had to be from that powerful witch of theirs. He ordered the ship to fire upon the new shield. Unlike the previous ones, it did not budge or diminish no matter what they threw at it. Damien narrowed his eyes. He would have to get her out of the way to get to the princess. And yet, such a powerful shield would require a powerful spell that would take a lot out of her. That could be used.

He turned to his men. "We're leaving."

There was no point to continuing the attack until he had a plan for the purple-eyed sorceress.

o

O O

o

Back in the Tower, the Titans celebrated their opponents' departure, turning to Raven. Still in her meditation position, she did not retract her shield until there was no sign of the enemy ship. The magic snapped back into her and she fell. Not stepped down. She fell out of the air, landing on her back.

"Raven!" Robin cried as the Titans rushed to help their friend. She shook her head at their help as she slowly stood up. They helped her anyway, pulling her to her feet. They all asked her the same thing. "What's wrong?"

"It's a powerful spell that takes a lot of energy out of me. While I cast it, I can't do anything else, and the backlash is," she hesitated, "difficult."

They led Raven slowly to the control room to plan for other attacks their enemies might mount. An hour later, they were finished. Raven sat back resting as her friends left to make preparations. The plan was good. It could work. She would still have to generate the shield, but that was her only role. The others were off to build weapons that could be used to counterattack. When the attack came, Starfire would go with Robin to the safe room originally built for Raven, Raven would settle in the control room and cast her spell from there, and Beast Boy and Cyborg would go to the weapons and retaliate. When the team was called into the city to fight villains, only Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Raven would fight. Robin and Starfire would go to their safe house in the city. That way Starfire wouldn't be lured out by a trap, but she wouldn't have to be alone (other than Robin) in the Tower. It was a good plan. But Raven feared what could go wrong.

-------------------

And there it is! Short action in this chapter, but it sets up for some that should be better! So Robin is still kinda clueless, but he should stop, as Beast Boy put it, "playing both girls." Or will he? What if he just can't stay away from Raven? ^^

A spell learned from Malchior. A very draining one. What do you think of it? Any guesses on what the words used are?

Also, I do have Beast Boy a little more serious in this. That's because I do believe he has a serious side. And he does get angry, shown in The Beast Within. He's not emo, as some writers like to do, but he does have some depth. I think if he realized he cares about Raven, he'd be pretty protective, especially if Robin was hurting her unknowingly. That's what I'm trying to do with this story.

Remember, please review!

See you next chapter,

Shay


	9. Black Bird

Sorry it took so long to update. I had to thinkn and plan what was going to happen. Now I know, so updates won't take as long. To make up for the wait, here's an extra long chapter!

Also, for news on my how my stories are going, look on my profile page. That's where I put what I'm doing and guesses on how long until new chapters. I update my page everytime something changes, so check back.

Furthermore, if you feel I'm taking too long to update, feel free to message me and tell me so. Sometimes I can lose track of how long it's been, so please go ahead and remind me.

For those who asked me to continue Through the Screen, I have a companion piece in mind. It's going to be a one-shot as well.

I'm sorry if there's any mistakes in this, I was typing it quickly to get it up fast. Anyone want to volunteer to beta?

Review Replies:  
morphious444: Yes, it can be short, but this one is extra long, and thanks for the compliment!  
silver starlight serpant:Robin is dense because he is in denial. ^^  
RED LIONSAYSRAWR:I guess you could look at it like that! ;) Generally they're more concerned about the whole being attacked thing, but I suppose something could happen.  
Aiedrail:Thanks so much and more action will be coming up soon!  
Regina Lunaris: Thank you so much! Good job on getting the Swahili and the translation.  
Animallover3000:Thank you, you should find out more soon.  
animallover12: Thank you and I will.  
An iphonegal:Don't worry, very soon all will be revealed.  
Lightdark-raveness: I shall keep writing and thank you!

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Raven sat motionless in mid-air, slowly floating up and down. Her straight hair, violet-red in the sunlight, glistened as it wavered in the wind around her serene face. The wind blew gently, just enough to coax her hair into moving. The sun shone just over the horizon, sending its rays to shine on Raven's petite frame. Its red-gold rays spread over Jump City with a welcoming feeling. The sun always greeted the day, without fail. Its warm rays could bring hope in even the darkest times. It never failed to cheer Raven. Every day was another gift, another day she could live free of the terror of her prophecy. No matter what happened the day before, the sun burned the slate clean. A new beginning, and a second chance.

Yet Raven's eyes remained closed to the beauty. She didn't need to look to see. Her eyes were gently closed, as if in sleep. Her legs were crossed, and showed no sign of tension. Her upper body was held perfectly straight, an arch in her back. Her arms and hands were out in perfect Lotus positions. They didn't even quiver, despite the slight wind. Her face was perfectly calm. Her cloak floated behind her, one of the few signs of any movement. In every aspect of her appearance, she looked to be meditating.

And yet, she was not meditating. To meditate was to empty oneself of all thoughts. This was the opposite of what Raven wanted to do. She needed time to think and reflect. Pretending to meditate was the only way to do this undisturbed.

Besides, with all her power going towards the defense of the Tower, her powers were depleted and weren't giving her that much difficulty. With all the emotional strain she had going on, it was a welcome change from blowing things up every time she lost her rigid control. She could only hope that the lack of power troubles could last until the three messes were behind her. Hopefully one of the messes, Damien and his men, could be wrapped up soon, so she could deal with the other one. But she feared it would last. Damien showed no sign of giving up, and the Titans were getting tired of fighting him. Thankfully, the city had been keeping quiet, so they had only needed to send one Titan at a time. She had never been allowed to go because she was instrumental in defending Starfire. But that was alright, it wasn`t what worried her. No, what worried her was the lack of strength in their recent attacks. She could tell exactly how much firepower was shot at her shield. That knowledge was the reason why she alone was suspicious. Damien never attacked for long, but that could be explained by the fruitlessness. The reason Raven was so suspicious was because she knew they weren`t really trying. The first day she used her shield, the blasts on it rocked her to her centre. They were that strong. The latest attacks, their latest weapons, barely made her twitch. Their new blasts looked strong and fancy, producing lots of flash and smoke. But that was all it was: smoke and flash without any substance. _They want to make us think they`re giving it all they`ve got,_ Raven thought. _Why?_

Not wanting to alarm the others, she had told no one but Cyborg about this. She told him about the weak, pretend attacks, and that she feared they were plotting. He didn't dismiss her worry, and came up with an idea. If Raven ever got a sign or feeling that they were attacking for real, she would press a newly installed button that would alert Cyborg to a true threat. This would allow him to be fully on guard for any kind of plot. Until then, they would stay vigilant but not worry as much over each individual attack. At least her part was simple, but it always tired her out for when _they_, one of her other messes, came. She also feared their coming, for it brought up many things she would rather forget. She never knew when they would come, and he was hinting that he would do something drastic soon. Not to mention driving them away grew harder and harder, and it was getting more difficult to lie to the team, especially Robin. Thinking of that only reminded just how much trouble she was in.

Although Raven would never admit it to anyone else, she feared not only for Starfire, but for herself. Right from when he met her, Damien had marked Raven out as powerful. After seeing her black magic, he had to know it was her behind the shield protecting the Tower. If he wanted to get to Starfire, Raven was directly in his way. She would never allow him to go around her, and would put up a huge fight. He would have to go straight through Raven to get the coveted princess.

How he planned to get her out of the way, Raven didn't know. And that scared her.

o

O O

o

"My lord, all is ready," a man in black bowed to his master.

He smiled in anticipation of his prey. "Tomorrow, we commence Operation Blackbird."

o

O O

o

"My lord, all is ready," a man in blue bowed to his master.

He smiled in anticipation of his prey. "Today, we go after the blackbird."

o

O O

o

Robin sat behind the blue sorceress, just out of sight. He admired her tranquility and control over her body as well as her emotions. At the same time, he wished sometimes she could let that wall come down, and she could show how we felt. Lately that wall had been slipping, at least, according to Beast Boy and Cyborg it was. It would temporarily fall, but not by her choice. Because of their concern, Robin was keeping a close eye on their resident black bird. She seemed to be holding up fine, especially considering the circumstances. Still, some things could trigger a reaction that was unexpected, as if it he reminded her of something she was hiding from them. After Robin's fiasco in her room, she had been very cool and professional, showing no emotion and not showing that anything had happened. That itself worried Robin, but he said nothing for fear of re-upsetting her. So long as her personal issues didn't affect her performance within the team, he could not justify trying to talk to her again, especially after his previous, spectacular failure.

He turned away with a sigh after Raven phased through the roof. He left to go find Starfire, who could cheer up his melancholy thoughts.

o

O O

o

Starfire bounced around the room, so full of joy she could hardly stay on the ground. Robin hadn't been able to take her out again, what with the increasing threat from Damien, but he had more than made up for it with how sweet and considerate he was being. She'd harboured a crush on Robin for a long time, though it took them awhile to finally admit it. It was the one good thing that came out of this whole "princess" mess. She and Robin were together at last. Just thinking about it made her float up a little out of pure joy. She floated back down when she thought of Raven. Her poor friend was having a hard time, with what she did not know. She heard the door to the room close and spun around. She squealed in delight and flew to Robin, giving him a crushing hug. She kissed him, which he happily returned. They stayed like that, ignoring Beast Boy and Cyborg's catcalls.

When they finally broke, Robin looked over at the other two. Despite their seemingly light teasing, their merry tone didn't reach their eyes. They didn't want to alert Starfire to anything wrong, but Robin could tell Beast Boy and Cyborg had not yet forgiven him. However, they were pleased at his greeting of Starfire. It signified he planned to stay loyal to her.

A strange beeping came from Robin's communicator. He frowned at it. **beep-beep, beep-beep**_._ He'd never heard it make that sound before. He saw his fellow teammates pull theirs out, each making identical noises. Everyone had matching confused expressions except for Cyborg, who looked puzzled as if at the reason but not the noise itself. Robin addressed him.

"What's this?"

Cyborg spoke slowly, as if unsure of the meaning. "After the suspicious destruction of Raven's last communicator, I installed an alarm that would go off if any of the communicators were destroyed." His eyes widened as what that mean dawned on him.

"But we can see that all of our communicators are clearly functioning," Starifre said, bewildered.

"Not Raven's," Robin said before bolting.

o

O O

o

Robin ran as fast as he could.

**beep-beep**

Starfire flew right beside him.

**beep-beep**

Cyborg raced behind Robin.

**beep-beep**

Beast Boy flew above them as a peregrine falcon.

**beep-beep**

_Please be alright._

**beep-beep**

_Friend, what is wrong?_

**beep-beep**

_Don't be hurt._

**beep-beep**

_Rae..._

**beep-beep**

_I don't want things between us left as they are._

**beep-beep**

_Friend Raven, who is hurting you?_

**beep-beep**

_No one hurts my lil' sis and gets away with it._

**beep-beep**

_Let us help you this time Rae._

**beep-beep**

**beep-beep**

**beep-beep**

**beep-beeeeeeeeeeeeeeep**

The alarm was turned off as they approached Raven's room. Robin signaled for the Titans to stop, creeping silently up to her door. They all fell completely quiet, not wanting to advertise their presence. They assumed battle dormation outside her door. Instead of jumping in, Robin pressed his ear to the door, listening.

What he heard both confused and troubled him, particularly since he could not see what was happening.

"Come, my dear," A voice he did nto recognize. "Don't be unreasonable."

"Must I repeat myself?" Robin recognized Raven's defiance with relief.

"Only until you mean it."

"I don't want this."

"Ah, but you do. You haven't called for your friends."

"You destroyed my communicator. Again."

"But you have not phased out of your room."

"If I run, you'll just follow."

"I'm glad you understand. Or is it something else? Dear Raven, you aren't fighting back as much as normal. Why is that?" A whisper. "Why are you weaker than before?"

"Don't touch me!" Raven's voice shook.

"Sweet Jewel, do you forget so quickly?"

"Don't call me that."

"What do they have you doing that weakens you so much." The familiar, concerned tone in the unknown voice angered Robin. "I would never make you do anything like that."

"You don't understand."

"Sweet Jewel, I do. They take advantage of you, don't appreciate you, and you know it."

Robin bristled when Raven didn't object this time.

"Stop it, I can't, I don't-" Raven's voice trailed off.

"Sweet Jewel, consider my request."

"I'm sorry."

"You should be." The strange voice was suddenly cold. Robin heard a thud, and Raven cried out.

"That's enough," Robin growled. He and the other Titans burst in, eyes widening at the scene.

----------

Another chapter, another cliffie! But very, very soon (coughnextchaptercough) you find out who those people are, and more about Raven's situation.

Until we meet again,

Shay.


	10. Marius

First off, I want to thank you guys soooo much! The response to this story has been great, and that means a lot, this being my first story. 61 reviews for 9 chapters! Thank you to everyone who reads and/or reads this story.

Secondly, I apologize for the wait, I know it was longer than normal. My life has really picked up lately, and I don't have as much time as I used to. But I will always try to get chapters up as fast as I can.

Review Replies:  
EngulfedByDarkness: Neither Slade nor Damien, as you shall soon see.  
TheDreamChaser:I love stopping a suspenseful points, as you shall learn quickly.  
morphius444:Sorry about cliffies, but at the same time, I do love them. I'm glad there weren't many mistakes.  
SevenScars:Glad you like it, and I'm happy that you couldn't stop reading, it means you enjoyed it.  
KraZiieTarT:As I said to EngulfedByDarkness, neither Damien nor Malchior. ^^  
Mwhahahaha18: Thank you so much! I'm glad you like my characterization of Beast Boy and Cyborg, it's always how I've thought of them.  
PIEEATER28:Hmm, I didn't realize that about Robin, thanks a lot for letting me know, I'll be sure to try and work on it in the future. And thank you so much for saying the plot's good, that's generally what I specialize in, is a good plot.

Thank you also to:anon, via-loves-tyson, animallover3000, candyy, Regina Lunaris, animallver12, and loke16.

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Robin's eyes widened and then narrowed, taking in the scene quickly. Information was essential in a successful attack. In the two seconds before the Titans were noticed, Robin absorbed the scene. The scene that was presented worried him.

Raven was off to the left, against, no, pressed up against the wall. She had no visible injuries, but her hood was down and she had a pained expression. Her hands were held up near her face in defence, held by another, unfamiliar set of hands. One hand held Raven's hands captive, gripping her wrists. The other held Raven's shoulder, pushing her against the wall. She had cried out when she

hit the wall. The man holding her was someone he'd never seen before. The two were surrounded by five other strangers, all dressed in form-fitting, dark blue clothing. Judging by the figures, there were three females and three males, including the one holding Raven. They were spread out evenly through the room, in relaxed but ready positions. Two of them were even sitting down. But all of them faced the leader.

The man holding Raven was set apart by his clothes. He had black pants and a dark blue shirt with a black symbol on it. He had short, dark red hair that was mussed. His skin was the same colour as Raven's, as were all the other attackers. All had dark hair as well. The leader was half a foot taller than Raven, with a sinewy frame. He had an angry look on his face, and the others just looked bored.

Raven's room was neat, and hardly anything was out of place. No fight had taken place here, Raven had not defended herself. But, why? Raven was not the type to go quietly, unless she was weakened like the man had said…

Robin noticed and absorbed all this in the short time it took them to notice the Titans.

"Raven!"

Raven was being held on the wall. All she could see was him, his grey skin and red hair. They'd come at the worst possible time, and she could do nothing. She'd made him angry with her refusal, and he always had a quick temper. That was what had always scared her. All of his previous entreaties had been peaceful, barring the first visit, but she had instigated the battle then. This was the first time he lost his temper and hurt her. She closed her eyes in pain, hoping to guilt him. He held her hands, and kept her against the wall with the other. His helpers stayed out of the encounters. It was between her and him. If only the other Titans could help her, but they didn't know and she didn't know how to tell them. She was trapped.

"Raven!"

Her eyes flew open at the sound, and she jerked her head in that direction. She couldn't suppress a gasp of delight at the sight. All four of the other Titans stood in the doorway, shock on their face. Raven averted her eyes in shame. She'd never be able to hide it now, and now they knew for sure she had kept something from them.

Robin saw Raven look away, and knew at once this was what she had hid from them. His fists tightened. The intruders looked at them when Beast Boy cried out Raven's name. The leader didn't move, continuing to hold Raven, and neither did the others.

"Let Raven go," Robin growled.

The man holding her spun her to face the Titans and backed up, still gripping her hands and now her waist. "I'm sorry boy, I think I've made a bad first impression. We've gotten off on the wrong foot."

"Let. Her. Go."

He continued to back away. "Please, allow me to explain. I'm sure we could be friends."

"I don't think so," Cyborg said coldly.

The man reached the bed and sat down, pulling Raven down beside him on his right. He kept his arm around her waist. The two girls who were already on the bed moved to the right of and behind Raven, leaving her surrounded.

"Please," he said again calmly. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Marius."

"We don't care!" Beast Boy cried angrily.

"Ah-ah-ah. Anger will get you nowhere. As I was saying, we come from Azarath. Raven and I used-"

"Don't you dare," Raven's voice was razor-sharp.

"Well, must keep the lady happy."

"Titans, go!" Robin yelled.

In a flash, three of Marius' helpers jumped up to face the Titans. Marius and the two others surrounding Raven did not budge, keeping her captive. Robin grinned. Four on three. They could take them.

As the two groups watched each other warily, waiting for the first move, the people in blue grinned.

The girl swept a false curtsy, keeping her eyes on the Titans. "My name is Lyssa, pleased to meet you. Can't we be friends? Starfire, me and you would get along well."

The next one, a man, mockingly bowed. "Quincy. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Cyborg."

The final man just grinned. "And I'm Lucien. Hey, Beast Boy."

"And these two lovely ladies are Aeryn and Neda. Robin, surely we can make peace."

Disconcerted by their knowledge, the Titans all looked at Marius, the last to speak, a mistake.

Raven watched fearfully from the bed, held tightly by her captors, as the battle began. Distracted by the knowledge of their names, the Titans had taken their eyes off the attacking Azarathians. The moment their eyes were focused on Marius and Raven, Lyssa, Quincy, and Lucien attacked. Lyssa flew at Starfire and Robin, Quincy ran at Cyborg, and Lucien jumped on Beast Boy. In the small room, it was overwhelming.

Beast Boy was trying to reach Raven, but could hardly defend himself. The size of the room and proximity of the others limited his transformations. He couldn't turn into anything larger than a tiger. Even tiger shape made him cramped. Lucien knew this, and so kept Beast Boy near the wall, shrinking the amount of room they had to fight. Lucien moved so fast, he could keep up with Beast Boy's frequent transformations.

Cyborg also had his hands full with Quincy. Quincy was strong, and, rather than risk Cyborg's sonic cannon, had forced him into a contest of strength. Their arms were locked and their gripped so tightly anyone else would have screamed in pain. Their eyes were filled with concentration, focused on each other. It was almost like a staring contest, but with muscles.

Whoever blinked first lost.

Lyssa shocked Robin and Starfire. She used a type of magic similar to Raven's, black energy controlled by her will. She held them off with a black shield generated by her own mantra.

"Azarath Nishati Adui," she chanted again, sending tendrils of black power after them. Starfire's starbolts couldn't penetrate the shield. As if she knew about their relationship, she always went for Starfire, aiming for her weak points, forcing Robin to protect her. Robin growled in frustration. How did these people know so much about them? Lyssa knew all Starfire's weaknesses, and it was the same with the other two. How did they know so much when the Titans knew nothing of them? As the Titans struggled, evenly matched, Raven sat helplessly on the bed.

_Why isn't she helping?_ Robin wondered. _Is she really as weak as they said?_

_Robin,_ Raven thought, reaching desperately for extra power. Black started to crackle around her hands, but was broken when Marius squeezed her wrists sharply, breaking her concentration. She winced. _I'm sorry Robin. This is my fault you can't beat them._

Robin saw this and gritted his teeth. Frantically looking in his pouch as he defended Starfire, he finally found something useful. He pulled it out, throwing it at Lyssa. She deflected it, pushing it to the side. When Robin continued to grin, she turned towards it, realizing her mistake. She was too late. The tiny ball burst open and immediately filled the room with impenetrable steam.

Cyborg, recognizing the smoke as from one of Robin's smoke bombs, took advantage of Quincy's momentary distraction. He shifted his weight, unbalancing his opponent, then throwing him over his shoulder. Unsure of the other Titan's positions, Cyborg held still, but wary, trusting Robin to find Raven.

Beast Boy saw Robin throw a smoke bomb, and shifted into a cheetah just before it went off. Having marked Lucien's position, he leapt right after the smoke removed sight. He hit Lucien, swiping his head with his paw to knock him out.

Starfire, immediately recognizing Robin's strategy, summoned her power as Lyssa's faltered. She threw starbolts as fast as she could to approximately where Lyssa was, using the sounds of pain and surprise to pinpoint her. Starfire grabbed her in a bear hug, holding her captive and covering her mouth.

Robin didn't pause even for a second, racing to where Raven and Marius were. He trusted Starfire and the others to neutralize their attackers. He had almost reached Raven when he heard her cry out.

"Robin!"

-------------

Yes, another cliffhangar. But this next part could get long and I'd already made you wait long enough, so here it is.

Until we meet again,

Shay.


	11. Well?

Another chapter, a very important chapter.

This is the explanation to the mystery of Marius and the other Azarathians. Enjoy!

Review Replies:  
Thank you to everyone who reviewed. There isn't really a need for specific replies this time, because most (if not all) said the same thing:  
Who are they and what happens next?

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As soon as Raven saw Robin throw the smoke bomb, she wriggled out of her captor's grasp. As the room went grey, she pulled away and stumbled forward. After taking a few steps, she froze, not knowing where to go. The thick fog that helped incapacitate their foes also hampered her. She spun around frantically, trying to locate Robin. He'd be the one to retrieve her, while the other Titans defeated their enemies. She calmed, closing her eyes and searching for him through their bond. She reached out mentally, just brushing his mind before she felt a hand on her shoulder that was not one of the Titans'. She screamed.

"Robin!"

Robin heard her scream, and felt her mind. He whipped around and ran towards her, her scream and their bond guiding him. He closed his eyes, using sound to guide him. He could hear Raven struggling with someone bigger than her. She was slightly muffled, which meant her attacker was between her and Robin.

Robin kicked them in the side and grabbed Raven, pulling her to him. She held him tightly, uncaring of the close proximity. Robin heard a chuckle from the man he kicked.

Raven held onto Robin, her saviour, as tightly as she could without hurting him. When she heard Marius' chuckle, her blood ran cold. She felt a hand brush the small of her back gently, making her shiver.

"I know when I'm beaten. See you soon, Raven."

The smoke finally dissipated, and any Titans who had held Azarathians were left holding air. They were gone.

o

O O

o

The Titans sat around the table, Raven on the end. She was looking down, hyperaware of the silence. She'd been keeping important things from her team, and now they rightfully wanted answers.

"Well?" Robin finally said. "You owe us an explanation."

Raven sighed, and turned her head to the side. Her profile was dejected. She did not relish the prospect of telling them. She dreaded it because it would also reveal how long she had been keeping it from them. A knot in her stomach, she began.

"They come from Azarath, or what remains of Azarath. Marius was the firstborn son of a nisha, the equivalent of a duke. The others are his former servants, the ones who were the most loyal and will follow him to death. That's what makes them dangerous. When Azarath fell to Trigon, they barely avoided destruction, and fled to the neighbouring realm. Now they've come here for me.

"They want to re-build Azarath somewhere else. Now that Trigon's gone, they can re-build without fear of retribution. Marius wants me to help them." She laughed sharply, startling the Titans. "He says they can't do it without me, me being the most powerful because I'm Trigon's daughter. Not to mention our personal relationship.

"Marius is my cousin, related to me through my mother's side. We were best friends when we were young, until he, and I, found out I was Trigon's daughter. I never found out how he felt; I avoided him out of shame after that. I never saw him again until recently."

"How recently?" Robin asked.

"Two months ago. The first time they came was the day you announced Starfire was your princess."

Robin's eyes narrowed. "This has been going on for two months?"

"Yes. At first, they came once a week. Now they come every day."

"Well, we'll talk about that later. Now, what about today? Why were you so weak?"

Raven bit her lip. Robin was not going to like her answer. None of them were. They would start lecturing her on how she couldn't put her own well-being on the back-burner.

"It's because of Damien."

The Titans stared in shock. That wasn't what they had expected. But, now that they thought about it, it made sense.

"You know the shield I produce to protect the Tower takes a lot of energy. I wanted to make sure I would always be able to generate it, so I," she hesitated. "I cast a spell so most of my power would always be set aside for producing the shield. Only in the direst circumstances, meaning somebody was dying, would be I able to access it. Otherwise I have very minimal power, and if anything interrupts my concentration I can't access it. By the time you came today, I'd used up my reserves."

"Because Damien's been attacking more often recently," Robin breathed. "But Raven, that's dangerous! That puts you in a lot of danger."

"I know that! But Starfire is more important."

Robin drew breath to argue, but sighed. There was no point in arguing with her now, and he had a question he needed the answer to.

"How did they know so much about us?"

Raven drew a shaky breath. The last part was unwanted, this part was dangerous. "He never attacked when he first came. Well, the first time he came, I attacked him. I hadn't seen him for so long, I was suspicious. That was the day Damien first attacked, when my communicator was destroyed. Afterwards, I realized his entreaty had been peaceful, so I allowed him in. At first we just talked, two old friends catching up. I told him about Trigon's defeat, and how I was free of the prophecy. After a couple visits he asked about all of you, and I, I told him." She looked down in shame. She'd betrayed her friends by telling someone who was a potential threat. "Please, hate me for it if you want, but understand. He was so kind. He didn't even bring up re-building Azarath until a month ago. He's been becoming pushier and pushier, until it finally culminated to this. Today was the first time he got physical."

The Teen Titans were speechless. The situation Raven was in was almost unbelievable. Robin was amazed at how she was coping so well with all the stress. Dealing with Marius on top of Damien… Any of the others certainly could have lost it. How could they blame her for telling Marius about them? She was clearly worrying, and Marius gave her a shoulder to lean on, an old friend re-united. If he had started off kind and concerned, there would be no reason for her not to talk about her new life. Robin was just sad that it had turned into another betrayal for Raven.

Raven glanced up at the Titans, expecting anger but seeing pity. She had thought they would hate her for revealing their secrets and weaknesses, but instead they looked upon her with understanding. She grew even more confused when Beast Boy walked over to her and bent down beside her.

"Rae, we forgive you. You had no way of knowing," Beast Boy said, hugging her.

"Beast Boy, get off me." But there wasn't the usual irritation in her tone. Emboldened by this, the other Titans also walked over to her, contact ranging from Starfire's hug to Robin's hand on her shoulder.

"You're our friend Raven," Beast Boy said. "Let us help you."

And, surprising the other Titans, Raven smiled.

-----------

And the end of another chapter. Actually not a cliffhangar too! I think that's a first!

Big paragraphs, but filled with important information. So now you know more about them. What do you think?

Until we meet again,  
Shay.


	12. Author's Note

Hey everyone!

This is just a more in-depth update on this story in general. I decided to do this for all my stories, to clear up some things and let people know what's going on.

When this story takes place: After the 4th season, obviously. There are references to Trigon's fall. However, as I don't know much about the 5th season, it takes place after the 4th but before the 5th.

No one's asked me when this story takes place (I don't think), but I just wanted to say anyway.

The Christmas holidays are coming up and that has an impact on updates. The holidays are a busy time for me, so updates may be slower.

Now, for this story I basically have the plot planned out. However, if anyone does have suggestions that you think could enrich it, they are always welcome and I'd love to see if it can be integrated in.

Thank you so much to all those who read and faithfully review this story. It has a huge, positive effect on a writer, and really inspires me to keep going. So thank you.

I am looking for a beta reader, so if anyone knows a good one, that would be much appreciated, even more so if they can also beta Storm Hawks.

Now, future stories. I have two ideas for Teen Titans stories, and if you could tell me your opinion in a review, that would be great.

The first is Moonlight. For anyone who has read my one-shot Through the Screen (and if you haven't you should), you know it's all from Robin's perspective. Moonlight would be a companion piece to it. It would be writing the same events from Through the Screen from Raven's perspective. Different character, different metaphor, same events.

The second is What Have You Done. It would be a chaptered story, inspired by the song What Have You Done. You wouldn't need to know the song to read the story. It isn't a songfic, just a story with quotes from the song at the beginning of the chapter.

What do you think of those?

I know this is short, and doesn't say too much, but I just wanted to say it.

Until we meet again,  
Shay.


	13. The Real Thing

Please don't kill me! I'm so sorry for taking so long. I wanted to make it up to you by giving you a longer chapter, but it would have taken even longer. So here is the next chapter. Don't be deceived by how short it looks because of long paragraphs, there are a lot of words. It's because of that this chapter took a while. I promise that the next chapter will have action. In fact, it would be ridiculous if the next chapter didn't have some action.

I know it may not make a difference to some, but I feel like I should explain why I've been MIA. After Christmas break I had exams and tons of exam prep. Now it's a new semester, AND I have rehearsal everyday. I struggle to finish my homework, so please forgive me if writing can't be at the top of my list.

Good news? I'm done my show on February 27th. Which means I will gain a LOT more free time.

Review Replies:  
**morphious444**: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. My life has been unbelievably hectic for the past two months. I'm also sorry this chapter isn't as long as you may like. It is 1,500 words, but it doesn't seem like it because it's in large paragraphs. I'd love to hear about your story and help out if I can, and I'd like to hear the ideas you have for this.  
**DarknessBleeding**: I'm glad you liked the ideas, and hopefully you'll think this chapter is good as well.  
**KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun: Well, I did do Moonlight first, not nearly as soon as I would have liked, so hopefully you enjoyed Moonlight.  
animediva1706**: Sorry I didn't do What Have You Done first. I'd prefer to save it for later when I have more spare time. The song is by Within Temptation.  
**candyy**: Hopefully I will get a chance to do What Have You Done soon, but right now I don't have time.  
Thank you also to S**evenScars, via-loves-tyson, halogirl810, Lightdark-raveness, yankeesgeek2.0, and TeenTitansGirl**.

-------------

Raven relaxed on her bed, lying on her back reading a book. After her confession, the Titans had let her retreat to her room alone and they all went to bed. It had been a long day. Raven hadn't seen any of the other Titans yet today, unsure of how to act. They knew now, and they were glad she had shared. Thanks to the shock over her situation, the cause of her weakness had gone unnoticed. However, she was certain that once they had a moment to think, they would certainly be angry at her for setting her own safety aside to ensure the shield's continuous power. Her friends always worried when she disregarded herself to help them. They didn't understand that they were the only thing keeping her sane and happy. It was for that reason she would do anything for them, even sacrifice herself. She didn't know if she could go on if her friends were gone and she could have prevented it. It was for that reason she did everything she could. All of a sudden, the alarm rang and her eyes flew open, teleporting to her station in the control room. Time to put these thoughts out of her mind and protect her precious friends.

Robin had been sitting at the table silently with Starfire when the alarm rang, thinking about Raven. He was happy she finally confided in them, and sad for what she was going through. She didn't deserve to have to deal with both Marius and Damien simultaneously. No one did. He could only hope that Raven, sad, burdened, loyal, beautiful Raven, could cope with it. He―

He was cut off from his thoughts by the alarm. Damien was back. His body moving in practiced motions, he ushered Starfire through the halls quickly, heading towards the safe room. His wild thoughts touched on Raven, and a single, permeating idea pieced his thoughts.

_I hope Raven's up to this._

Similar thoughts ran through Starfire's mind as she flew beside Robin. Although the trip took only a minute, a hundred thoughts ran through her mind, most of them worry for her friend. Starfire already detested the fact that her friends were put in danger by Damien for her sake. That it placed so much strain on Raven in particular hurt. No matter what Raven liked to pretend, the two girls were best friends, and couldn't imagine not having each other. If anything happened to either of them, the other would feel it deeply. Yet Starfire could not help but feel a little hurt that Raven had not confided in her sooner. The girls shared more secrets than most knew. In fact, Raven had told Starfire things she had told no one else, and vice versa. To have her hide something this big cut deeply. _But to dwell on the past only hinders the future,_ Starfire reflected on something Raven had once said. _I will help Raven get through this._ She flew into the safe room, Robin on her heels.

Beast Boy sat in his seat, gun ready, waiting for a chance to fire. Even though the alarm was tripped, it could take up to five minutes before Damien and his men were actually visible. Finding it hard to concentrate, he let his thoughts wander to Raven. He'd liked her for a long time, but had never gotten up the courage to tell her. He'd meant to after she had defeated her father and gained the ability to show emotion a little more, but the time had never seemed right. She'd always been reading or irritated, and so he never told her. Lately though, he thought she must know. After all, a lot of his recent actions weren't exactly, subtle. Anyone could see through them, and surely Raven, as an empath, in particular should. But his time to brood was up; Damien was in sight.

Raven's shield blossomed around the Tower, just before Damien's first strike. Due to the saved power, it came easily to her, much easier than anything else these days did. She floated above the seat, breathing deeply and slowly at a regular pace. This was not out of the ordinary nowadays. Ever since the attacks started happening more frequently, they'd called in auxiliary Titans to defend Jump City from the other villains.

As the first blast hit, Raven's eyes flew open and she gasped for air. Due to her surprise, the shield wavered for a moment but still held. By the next blast she was prepared for it, but remained short of breath. Holding the shield in place through sheer will, she fumbled for the button set into the control panel. Her thoughts raced, and she fought to remain calm. This was it, they were attacking. The blasts were the strongest ever. She had to warn Cyborg as soon as possible. She found the button and pushed it, sending a signal to him. Immediately after, she relaxed marginally, holding the shield and freeing her thoughts. For a few seconds, she couldn't think of anything, and was completely unaware of what was happening outside her thoughts. She remained in this state, but slowly began to think again. Why attack seriously now? What changed for them? They had found no weak points in her shield, and their weapons were only slightly more powerful than their first, unsuccessful try. Damien had to know he couldn't penetrate her shield. Unless he found a way to get to her. Raven whipped around to cast protection over the door. The last thing she saw before the dark of unconsciousness was Damien's smiling face.

Cyborg, rapidly shooting at Damien's ship, was fairly relaxed. This was routine, and although it was serious, it was starting to be almost fun. Their "battles" were basically a stand-off, neither side gaining ground. Thanks to this, they could enjoy it while remaining wary. However, it wasn't long before Cyborg's merry mood was shattered. Almost immediately after the first blast struck, a button began flashing and he froze. This was it. They were attacking for real, which meant the must have a trick up their sleeve. Taking a break from shooting, he rapidly typed in a code, connecting to everyone else's comscreen, including Raven. Beast Boy, Starfire, and Robin were surprised at this communiqué, and Raven was pale and looked off in her thoughts.

"I know you're confused so I'll get to the point. The other attacks were fake and this one is real, so be wary."

Not wanting to take up more time than needed, he turned the screen off. He frowned. The last shot of Raven had been her turning away. But enough of that. No more fun and games, this was the real thing. He had just prepared to begin shooting again when the black protective shield shattered. It broke into pieces and disappeared as Cyborg watched in horror. He tore his eyes off the sight as Robin and Beast Boy's screens lit up.

"What's going on?" Robin demanded, Starfire behind him with a concerned look on her face.

"I don't know," Cyborg said, at a loss. "The shield just died."

A blast hit their regular shields and Cyborg's expression changed from shock to grim. "We don't have much time before they're in. Robin, Star, stay where you are. We can't risk you. They'll be inside the Tower in five minutes. Beast Boy, we'll keep shooting for three minutes, then engage them with our new weapons." He shut off the com screen, pushing the sights of their confused faces and his own concern out of his mind.

For a moment, Beast Boy could only sit there, confused and unable to process what was happening. His training quickly kicked in and he began firing, his body doing practiced actions without his mind needing to work. As he shoot as rapidly as he could, trying to defend the best he could despite the constant, powerful blasts. But even the panic of the situation could not protect him from his own thoughts. How could the shield fail? How could it shatter like that? How could Raven, the strong one who so often held them together, fail? How could it fail when it had worked so many times before? He worried for Raven's safety, and Starfire's as well as an afterthought. Could they succeed this time? They had to, for all their sakes. He glanced at the clock. Time to go, and try to defend their prized Tower and precious friends.

He turned into a falcon, one of the fastest birds living. At least this time they were a lot more ready to face Damien and his men. They'd acquired new weapons, and done some research. They wouldn't be caught unaware and unprotected. They'd made contingency plans for almost every situation. They just hadn't expected to need to use them. Beast Boy flew into the main room, acknowledging Cyborg's presence before racing outside just as the ship broke through the shields.

-------------

I know, I know, it's short. But I really wanted to get it up as soon as I could because I feel bad for taking too long. I promise, cross my heart and hope to die, the next chapter WILL have action.

Until we meet again,  
Shay.


	14. Battle

Over 100 reviews! Thank you so much to my readers, you are the best a writer could hope for! I am so sorry it took me this long to update, I've had a lot happening in my life and haven't really been able to find the time or will to write. Hopefully it will get better.

Now, I promised you action in this chapter and there is! I'm quite happy with how it turned out, and I hope you like it.

Review Replies:  
Aiedrail: Thank you very much! I'm glad I can continue to surprise you, and that you think so highly of my writing!  
DarknessBleeding: That's a good point about separating them. I usually try to figure out where to put the separation, and I sometimes have trouble with it. What I generally try to do is if the story switches scenes or locations, then it is separated. I'm happy you were pleased with the detail, it's something I work very hard on.  
katherine: You'll have to wait and see what happens, I certainly can't tell you! But you will find out some in this chapter, so go read it! :)  
Ignite the Airwaves: Thank you! I love your writing, as you probably know from all the reviews I post on your stories, and I'm glad you like this!  
KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun: Hmm, is Starfire the princess? Well, that's one of the main story points, so I can't give that away!  
Alexandra-the-Grape: Thank you so much! I also get very frustrated with how Rob/Star is portrayed in Rob/Rae stories, in particular the characterization of Starfire! Especially stories where she is, as you said, a shallow, vengeful bitch, intent on keeping "her man." That is completely OOC! If you like this, you should check out Through the Screen and Moonlight, two one-shots I have up (shameless self-promotion), which I like to think are how Rob/Star and Rob/Rae should be handled. I'm also very glad you think my writing has improved, it's what every writer strives for! And rambling is fine. :)

Thank yous also go to: animallover12, klrob, nightgem, morphious444, wolf, animallover, and DeadlyRedAlice.

* * *

Beast Boy hovered just outside the door to the Tower in falcon form, waiting for Cyborg. Damien's ship had just broken through, and Cyborg was three seconds behind Beast Boy. They exchanged a glance.

"Ready?" Beast Boy asked, grim for once.

"Booyah," Cyborg said without much excitement.

The two sprang into action as the ship descended and Damien's people poured out. This time there was more than eleven people; closer to twenty assailants surrounded the two Titans. The ship pulled back up, preparing for battle. Beast Boy pulled his trademark grin then transformed. The attackers faltered; shocked at the form the superhero was taking.

Beast Boy, although thrilled at the reaction his new transformation had procured, felt a pang in his chest. This was something Raven had suggested. She'd poured over her books, finding the information he would need to learn it. She had gone over everything with him, and he wished she could be here to see the result and how well it was working. But she wasn't, and he didn't know if she was alright. He growled. He would have to use the anger he felt about that to defeat Damien and his men. Beast Boy roared, breathing fire in his new dragon form.

Cyborg took advantage of the attacker's distraction to start shooting at them. He had upgraded his weapons with new technology from Robin. Robin didn't say where he got it, but everyone knew it was from Batman. It was the unspoken rule, no one mentioned the Dark Knight who was Robin's one-time mentor. Cyborg was happy to leave the topic unsaid, especially if doing so gave him perks like the new technology. The upgrades gave his sonic cannon increased power and range, as well as new gadgets. He took the chance to use one of them now, turning his sonic cannon yellow with electricity. The resulting shock sent Damien's people fleeing from the sparks.

Cyborg grinned, chasing them as Beast Boy flew to their ships. Beast Boy flew up, preparing to do battle with the ship still hovering in the air. He cast one last glance down at Cyborg before engaging the ship. The ship, surprised at this tactic, took a moment to respond. Before it moved out of the way, Beast Boy caught a glance of the people inside, a female pilot with a male standing behind her. He flew after it, chasing it around. He breathed fire, but the ship was more agile than it looked. It dropped, cutting the power to the jets keeping the ship aloft. As it fell to just below Beast Boy's line of fire, it quickly re-started the power and stopped its descent within a couple feet. Surprised by this tactic, Beast Boy let his fire falter. Taking advantage of Beast Boy's momentary lapse, they quickly opened fire on him. He ducked and twisted away, navigating as quickly as he could. Now he was grateful for all the practice Robin had made him go through, as well as the custom course Raven had designed in order to test and strengthen all the muscles, especially in his wings. It came in handy now when he was going toe-to-toe with a ship/plane captained by a clearly experienced pilot. He manoeuvred around to drop below the ship. As the pilot scrambled to turn the ship downwards so the cannons could fire, Beast Boy sent jets of flame up at the ship's underbelly. The ship flew away, but Beast Boy followed it, careful to stay below the ship so it could not return fire. The ship, understandably having no prior experience fighting a dragon, had been shaken off guard by the appearance of a completely unexpected creature. Beast Boy's apparent skill and dexterity with the form shook their usual calm and composed nature. This gave Beast Boy an edge from the beginning which allowed him to be the one chasing them instead of the other way around.

Cyborg was having the same amount of fun on the ground as Beast Boy was in the air. There was, of course, the seriousness of the situation, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the fight. His opponents were surprised by the improvement in his weapons, and Cyborg relished their expressions as he pulled out one new gadget after another. The weapon he began with, an electrified sonic cannon, was serving him well. It kept his opponents at a distance, preventing them from using the hand-to-hand they were so adept with. Long distance fighting was not their specialty, and it showed. However, Cyborg was only one person, and they eventually managed to dodge their way into getting close. Cyborg grinned, happy that he could show off some of his new toys. Out of the twenty original assailants, nine remained, the others having been either knocked out or returned to the ship with the injured. _The less left for me to deal with, the better,_ Cyborg thought to himself. He dodged one person's blow and leapt back to avoid another. He reduced the number to eight and then seven, by using an electric shock bomb and then a net which expanded on impact. The combined attacks of the seven remaining attackers forced him to go on the retreat. At this close range, they no longer feared his sonic cannon. He couldn't use it in this way of fighting. Fortunately for Cyborg, he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve thanks to Robin's "connections."

Feinting a punch at one of them, he pulled out a smoke bomb with his other hand, throwing it to the ground. It immediately broke open, covering the battlefield with a cloud of smoke 7 feet high. Cyborg, having taken in a deep breath just before throwing it, held his breath. He could hold his breath for longer than most, thanks to his cybernetic parts. He also had another advantage. He flipped open the panel on his arm and pressed a button he had placed in a convenient spot for easy access. He began to breathe again, unaffected by the smoke. He watched calmly as all around him, the assailants dropped. Some made a feeble attempt to strike at him, but some succumbed to the smoke's potent effects. Cyborg watched, breathing slowly through the filter the button had produced. It would dilute the smoke so it would have no effect on Cyborg. It gave him reduced oxygen, so too much exertion would turn badly, but it was perfect for escaping the effects of the smoke. Cyborg checked his watch just as the smoke dissipated, and grinned.

"Booyah." 60 seconds for the smoke to remain, 5 seconds for it to clear. Just on schedule, as always.

Cyborg looked up to see Beast Boy wrapping up his fight with the ship. He waited and watched as Beast Boy sent a final, fiery goodbye towards to ship as it scooped up its fallen warriors and departed. He flew down to join his friend on the ground, shifting back to Beast Boy a few feet up and crowing in delight. It quickly turned to a squeal when he fell the last few feet.

"And that's what you get for turning back before you're on the ground," Cyborg said, grinning as he helped Beast Boy up.

Beast Boy jumped up and dusted himself off. "Hey, I meant to do that!"

Cyborg laughed at his friend, and patted him on the back once he was up. "Good job Beast Boy. We took 'em out all by ourselves."

Beast Boy puffed up with pride. "Well obviously. We _are_ amazing, in particular me," Beast Boy smirked.

Cyborg shook his head at his friend's antics. "We need to find the others."

Beast Boy's cheerful expression became grim in an instant. "Raven."

Cyborg shook his head. "I want to find her as much as you do, but we need to make sure Robin and Star are alright first."

Beast Boy tightened but nodded. He knew that Cyborg cared deeply for his "little sister," and wouldn't leave her unless it was necessary. And since Starfire was their princess, prophesied to save the world, they needed to make sure she was safe first, especially since it was likely someone had infiltrated the Tower.

The two ran towards the door, stopping when they saw someone emerge from the doorway. They screeched to a halt.

"Damien," Beast Boy growled, shifting into a tiger.

Damien simply sighed at the sight of the two heroes. "And here I had hoped I could sneak out unnoticed."

"How did you get in?" Cyborg asked angrily.

Damien laughed. "Why would I tell you? I must say though, you've hidden your princess quite well. I can't find her."

"What did you do to Raven?" Beast Boy yelled.

"Who? Ah yes, the witch. I simply ensured she would, cooperate with letting us in. I'm not sure how she'll fare; you may want to find her. Although you may have trouble with that."

Beast Boy roared and leapt at him, but hit only air when Damien moved out of the way.

"Love to stay and chat about your fallen sorceress, but I really must go, as you appear to have fought off my people."

As Cyborg rushed at him to stop him, he threw down a smoke bomb. When it dissipated, Damien was gone. The two heroes stood in shock for a moment, then looked at one another in unison.

"You can go get Robin and Star. I'm going to find Raven," Beast Boy spoke tightly, unwilling to compromise.

Cyborg just nodded, and watched his friend race off. A few seconds later, he too rushed into the doorway and headed towards the safe room where Robin and Starfire were. Running through the halls to the centre of the Tower, he quickly typed in the code for unlocking the room and watched the door sweep open. A worried Starfire and angry Robin emerged from the room.

"What happened?" Robin demanded. "First you tell us the other attacks were fake without any explanation why, then the shield completely fails and you have no idea why, and then you tell us to stay put! What is going on?"

"I don't know completely know," Cyborg said simply. "But I'll tell you what I do know. Damien found a way to get inside the Tower and disabled Raven's shield. We encountered him coming out after the battle. Beast Boy and I fought off Damien's people. Then we came back in, I came to get you, and Beast Boy went to find Raven."

"_Find _Raven?" Starfire asked quietly. "You do not know where she is?"

"We don't know what they did to Raven to break the shield."

Robin surged forward with sudden rage. "Why didn't you tell us right away? Why are we still here standing around?"

He stalked off, furious. Starfire and Cyborg exchanged puzzled glances before following. Robin was, of course, always concerned about his teammates, but such a sudden outburst was unusual. They caught up to Robin, only to run into Beast Boy around the next corner. He was tight-lipped and grim. Four words were the only thing needed to send the Titans into panic.

"I can't find Raven."

* * *

Huzzah for cliffhangars! I pray the next update will not take as long... A big thank you to Unleash the Shadow for being my beta!

Until we meet again,  
Shay.


	15. Heaven and Hell

I'm not entirely sure what to say, because I'm pretty sure you all hate me now! But I finally have this posted, a last-minute Christmas gift! Please don't hurt me…

I'm so sorry it took so long; I've been having some school and personal issues that have kept me quite busy and totally unable to write. I finally managed to get this written. What I hope will make up for it is the content of this chapter. It contains a lot of things that are long overdue… So enjoy!

Review Replies:  
xxTermarixx: I'm glad you spotted the reference! I was in the play the summer of last year, and so I realized the lines would fit in nicely! I bet you were an awesome Hermia. Raven is definitely my favourite character.  
BluePhoneix45: I'm glad you like my writing! I didn't have the chapter done when you wrote this (obviously, it's been five months since the last update) but I think you'll be happy with this chapter. I think you should start writing. You have ideas and that's the most important part.  
junjou-yume: ;)  
Alexandra-the-Grape: Of course you get a special mention! It's because you're the reviewer every author loves, who leaves long, detailed reviews! I'm really happy you enjoyed Moonlight and Through the Screen so much. I like the metaphor in Through the Screen better, but had more fun writing Moonlight. I enjoy love squares, it makes things more interesting. I hope I've left enough clues about how Beast Boy feels about Raven by now, but you appear to be picking up on it, so good! Oooh, rocket thrusters, I definitely need to remember that.  
DeadlyRedAlice: That's what bothers me about most Rob/Rae stories. They ignore what Starfire and Robin have between them, or they turn Starfire into some jealous, possessive crazy, which she's not!  
blue-wasabi24: Yes I do!  
DARKNESSbleeding: Here are some answers to your questions!  
And thanks to: anna, Gingerstorm101, animallover12, FallenStormAngel, RebelAngel15, Aiedrail

* * *

Without hesitation, Robin blew past Beast Boy, heading towards the control room even though he knew it was irrational. He refused to believe that Raven had been overpowered. It just wasn't possible. She was their rock, their most powerful member who never gave up. He burst into the room, looking around furiously. Finding nothing, he wheeled around to face the team.

"Look everywhere."

"Robin, we don't need to," Cyborg said calmly.

"Yes we do! We have to find her!" Robin tried to walk out, but Cyborg pushed him back.

"But we don't have to search." He strode over to the computers. "We have recordings of everything that happened."

Realization dawned on Robin and he quickly logged on, accessing the security footage. He rewound the tape of the control room, rewinding past his own furious entrance.

"There!" Starfire cried.

As she spoke, they watched in reverse motion as Damien knocked Raven out and carried her out of the room.

"He snuck up behind her, the coward," Robin growled. "Where did he go next?"

The Titans watched silently as Damien dragged Raven, switching between cameras to follow their progress. They simmered quietly as he treated their friend like a sack of potatoes. They bit their lips to stop from yelling as he let her head, arm, or leg hit the wall once more. Finally, Damien let go of Raven and went to join the fight. Starfire let out a small gasp and they all rushed out.

As Beast Boy flew through the halls at top speed, his hatred of Damien grew with every wingbeat. Damien had put Raven in a closed, airtight box. She was running out of air. She had been for the whole battle.

o

O O

o

Starfire was the first to reach the box, Robin close behind. She tore the lid off with her alien strength, pulling Raven out and almost crushing her with a tight hug. Robin extracted Raven, gently cradling the unconscious girl. With fear, he looked at Raven's naturally pale face, trying to detect any change. He put his cheek to her lips, almost weeping when he felt a breath.

"She's alive."

o

O O

o

Robin was the one who was there when she woke. They'd been taking one-hour shifts while the others rested from the exertion of the battle. And so, it was Robin's face that greeted Raven when her eyes flickered open.

"Ro, bin?"

"Raven!" He hugged her fiercely, and Raven could only stay stock-still in surprise until he let go. "You're alright!"

"Of course I am. Is Starfire alright? Damien snuck up behind me, and… Oh my God…"

"Calm down, everything's fine. We drove Damien off."

"What happened while I was out? Why am I in the sick bay? I'm fine." She tried to get up but fell back due to dizziness.

"Damien took you to the basement and locked you in an airtight box. We found you just in time."

"Robin, I'm so sorry."

He was stunned, a rare event. "What for?"

She avoided his eyes. "I let you down. Starfire could have been lost because I was weak."

Robin grabbed Raven's chin and turned it towards him, forcing her to look at him. "Don't say that. This is not your fault."

They stayed like that silently for a few seconds, looking at each other. Even though Robin had his mask on, he felt as though Raven's eyes looked right through the material into what she knew to be beautiful, blue eyes. Raven, suddenly uncomfortable, ducked her head. Robin leaned in, their faces a hair's breadth away. Strangely, this felt natural. He moved his body closer and their legs touched. Something in the room began to tremble with black magic. Robin reached out that final gap and set Raven's world on fire.

She could feel his lips on hers and the sensation drove her wild. Her powers weren't even destroying the room, as she was sure they would. Did this mean… Could this be…? He must… Could she be…? Maybe this could—

But before it had lasted nearly as long as she wanted, Robin pulled away abruptly. He strode over to the door and, without turning around, spoke to her in clipped tones.

"I'm sorry, that was out of line. I took advantage of your weakness and it will not happen again. I intend to be faithful. I'll go tell the others you're up."

_I won't cry, I won't cry._

o

O O

o

She was surrounded by her friends, all thrilled she was alright. They made many such exclamations, all but the one she wanted to hear it from. He remained stoic, with a smile pasted on his face. As soon as she could, she fled to her room, claiming she needed a relaxing bath. It was all she could do to hold in the tears until she was alone.

o

O O

o

In the common room, the other Titans relaxed and played games, relieved at their friend's safety. Beast Boy and Cyborg played on the T.V., while Robin and Starfire made out in the corner. He did so with an unseen passion, which Starfire was surprised and delighted by. In her innocence, she saw nothing suspicious about it. It was in these positions the messenger found them.

"Princess Starfire!"

"Loran, what are you doing here?" To the Titans, she explained. "Loran works as a messenger on Tamaran. He is a dear friend. What brings you here?"

"My lady, I address you as a princess, but that is no longer the case."

Starfire's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"The Tamaranian people have grown tired of royalty. They have overthrown your family. You are no longer a princess. No one is."

Starfire, who had been floating with happiness at the unexpected visit from a friend, lost her flight. "But, why? My family was kind. They—"

"There is much that you did not know. But that must be for another time. I must return or they will notice I am gone. As it is, it has taken me a year to sneak away and notify you. Farewell Starfire, princess no more."

There was silence as the messenger of despair left. Finally, Beast Boy spoke up.

"Uh, what exactly does this mean for the, well, you know…?"

"They must have meant Starfire though. How could they have known?"

Robin thought back to the mysterious figures and their air of knowledge. "No. They knew."

"But if it is not I, then who could it be?" Starfire asked, puzzled and in shock. "The only other female who is 'very close to you' is—"

"Raven."

"Dude, Raven's not a princess. She so would have told us!"

Robin looked around at the Titans. "Would she?"

"Well, either way we have to go tell her the news," Cyborg said grimly, and they headed off.

o

O O

o

They walked a little slower than normal, none of them wanting to repeat the bad news. As they approached her door, they paused to collect their thoughts, and in that momentary pause heard the voices. Robin frowned, and the Titans all pressed their ears to the door.

"—you, my princess."

"You've been calling me that since you arrived. Stop it."

"But you are entitled to it as my—"

"No, that stopped when I left. So what if we never officially—"

As Raven's voice was cut off abruptly, the Titans, wide-eyed, decided they'd heard enough and were concerned. Robin opened the door, but the scene that greeted them stopped them in their tracks.

Raven was kissing Marius, with the pair's eyes closed. Raven had her back to them, and Marius' friends were absent. The Titans, already shocked at Raven being addressed as princess, were frozen to the spot, each with a different, yet similar, set of emotions. All of a sudden, Raven broke away. "Don't. I'm not your—"

"Then why haven't you attacked me with your magic yet?" Focused on each other, neither Marius nor Raven had noticed the Titans. Marius continued, stroking Raven's cheek, "If you truly objected, I would be on the floor right now."

Raven hissed quietly but didn't disagree or move from his touch. As Marius leaned in once again, Starfire gave a shocked cry.

"Raven?"

Raven whirled around, her eyes widening at her friends' presence. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," Robin said coldly. "You're a princess. And very close to you 'cousin.' I thought he was an enemy."

Raven could not speak. Although she was facing the Titans, she remained in Marius' embrace. Finally, Marius spoke up.

"Since we got off to a bad start before, let's start over. Hello, I'm Marius, prince of Azarath, son of Aeryn. This is my fiancée Raven, princess of Azarath, daughter of Arella. Princess of heaven."

"And Raven, princess of hell," Raven spoke softly, "daughter of Trigon."

* * *

Whew! And that's finally out! Many of you called this a while back, that Starfire wasn't the princess (it is a Rob/Rae story, after all) but I hope you're happy with the way it's handled. I left what happened on Tamaran to your imagination, if you're interested in a side one-shot let me know in a review. There's a lot of new information and events in this chapter that are sure to shake things up. The plot really picks up from here on in; this is one of the main turning points in the story. So get ready, there's a lot more twists to come, and many of them fast-paced.

Shameless plug for my other story, it's a Teen Titans one-shot called "Words," go read it and review I'm quite proud of it!

I have a favour to ask and a challenge to deliver. A few of my friends and I made a video, a parody. We worked very hard on it, and we want it to spread. So, the favour is me asking you to watch it and spread it around. The challenge is that one of the people shown in the video is me. Leave who you think it might be in a review or a message, and describe your guess using what they're wearing and what lyrics they sing. Everyone who gets it right will get a one-shot written for their favourite pairing, or a general one-shot with a topic of their choice.

The video:  
Paste this link without spaces: http:/ ww w. you tub e . c om / watch?v=2 6tD6hL9nj4  
or  
Search for "Bad Remake once upon a time" and it will be the first result

I've had a couple people guess, still no winner yet...

So please review, send to your friends, and all that jazz! Reviews make an author happy and the happier the author, the faster they write!

Until we meet again,

Shay


	16. Set Into Motion

Aaand, I'm finally back. It's been a very long time, since last December, so hopefully you haven't given up on me yet! The last few chapters have been where everything starts to come together, and in this chapter it takes off. So hopefully that, and the length (longer than usual) will help make up for taking so long.

One more thing: In the first chapter I mentioned something about not knowing how old Raven is, and the Titans being most fourteen. I started this story back in late 2009, and I've grown as a writer, so I've decided to drop that thread of a subplot, I don't know why I ever mentioned it, it was rather stupid. So, all the Titans are 16, give or take a year.

Review Replies:  
BluePhoneix45: Glad to know your interest has been awakened, hopefully this will reawaken it as well.  
blue-wasabi24, prewarmadness: Cliffhangers are my favourite thing to do!  
Aros: I'm glad you think it's improved, as I said above, I started this back in 2009 (it was my first story ever on this site) and I would quite hope my writing style has evolved and improved.  
Oo, StoriesForever: Haha don't worry, Raven and Robin get together, but where is the fun without some intrigue and rivalry?  
klrob: Yes, everything is coming together and all secrets come out.

Now, enjoy!

* * *

The Titans could not move, and could only stand and stare at the revelation. This was a huge secret to keep. Having been previously stunned at the Azarathians' existence, this new information shocked them even more. Raven had been keeping a lot of secrets.

"How could you not tell us?" Beast Boy finally broke the silence.

Raven looked away ashamed, unable to answer. It was Marius who responded. "How could she? You never noticed how weak she was getting until she completely lost her power. How much do you care about her, really?"

"That is not true!" Starfire cried.

"Have I lied?"

Starfire stepped back, hand flying to her mouth, unable to speak.

"Leave them alone," Raven spoke softly.

Marius tightened his grip on her. "No. You belong with me."

"No I don't!" Raven pushed his arms away and made a motion to strike, her hands glowing with black magic.

Marius growled, grabbing her wrists and slapping bracelets on them. Raven's eyes widened as her magic vanished, disappearing into the bracelets.

"No!"

The Titans sprang into action. Beast Boy and Starfire leaped at Marius, pushing him away, while Robin and Cyborg pulled Raven towards the door. Beast Boy and Starfire quickly restrained Marius, tying him up and gagging him. They then stood beside him, Beast Boy in tiger form.

Robin and Cyborg swiftly examined the bracelets put on Raven. They were nondescript, simple white bands that encircled Raven's small wrists. There were no markings on them, no insignias or buttons. Robin felt all around them, unable to find a release.

Robin turned to face Marius. "How do we get them off?" He demanded.

Marius simply grinned under the gag.

Robin stormed up to him, pulling him up by his cloak. "How. Do. We. Get. Them. Off?"

Marius held his gaze, then sighed, beckoning for Raven to be brought over to him. Reluctantly, Raven walked over, Cyborg by her side, knowing she had no choice. Marius grinned at her through the gag, and she scowled at him. He never could accept the word 'no.' He made a gesture, and Raven, understanding, made a move to pull off the gag. Robin grabbed her hand.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"It's a spoken release, as many things in Azarath are. If he makes a move to do anything else, we're all right here."

Robin slowly let go, and she pulled down the gag. Marius grasped her wrists, bringing them to his mouth.

"Tengua," he whispered to each bracelet, and they both clicked. Starfire quickly re-tied all his bonds, and Cyborg went to pull of the bracelets.

Raven felt a trickle of her power to come back when Marius unlocked the bracelets. When Cyborg began pulling them off, she felt a disturbing flow. She searched for the reason, but found it too late.

"Cyborg, wai—"

Too late, the bracelets were off. Raven felt her power rush back, too fast, much too fast. She tried to hold it back, limit it, but it was unexpected, powerful, and painful.

Her power exploded outwards. All she could do was fight the pain, trying to direct it at the objects in the room and not her friends. Her mirrors shattered; everything smaller than a chair flew around the room. After a moment of shock, Marius and the Titans dove to the ground away from Raven. All they could do was wait and protect themselves.

Raven finally wrestled control back after a long ten seconds of chaos. Looking around, she saw her friends unharmed, and breathed a sigh of relief. By some miracle, her window had not shattered.

Slowly, everyone stood up, scattered around the room.

"Dude, what was that? The bracelets came off and everything went whoosh into the air!" Beast Boy cried.

Robin strode back over to Marius. "Did you know that would happen?" He demanded.

Marius shook his head, eyes wide.

"Raven, why did everything go flying around the room?" Starfire asked.

"I-I don't," Raven swallowed, then began again. "My power went out of control. The bracelets suppressed it, and when they were taken off, all that power must have been released at once."

"Whoa," Beast Boy breathed.

"That was, unexpected," Cyborg said frankly.

"No, Cyborg, really?" Robin looked Marius directly in the eye. "Look, you cannot take Raven. We never would have let you before, unless she was willing. But now, you absolutely cannot."

"Why, Robin? You do not control her; she has a mind and will of her own," Marius stated, returning Robin's fiery gaze.

"We have found out that she is the princess in the prophecy. Damien and his men will destroy everyone without Raven's help. We need her until Damien has been defeated."

Marius' eyes flashed. "Your world may be destroyed without Raven. Our world is destroyed and Raven is the only hope we have of ever even partially rebuilding it. Don't you dare tell me you are in a dire situation."

Robin began to argue back before being cut off.

"Stop it," Raven said quietly but strongly. She was standing by the window. She had been looking out before turning around to stop the arguing. In her hand she held the bracelets. "It's no good arguing. Marius, I can't leave my friends with such a threat looming. And now that I've become the princess, I can't—"

Robin watched with terror as Raven's wall was ripped away, revealing a ship. In a span of three seconds, Damien grabbed Raven and the bracelets, pulling her backwards into the ship by her waist. Raven's face filled with terror, mouth forming a perfect 'o,' as she tried to free herself. The Titans reacted too slowly, much too slowly, rushing for the ship that had already faded into nothingness before their very eyes. Robin, the image of Raven's terrified face burned into his mind, grabbed Marius and shook him.

"Where is she? Where did they go?" He yelled desperately.

Marius shook off his bonds, loosened by all the shocks, and walked over to the gaping hole, where the wall was only a few moments ago. "They're gone."

"Where?"

"Back to their dimension. I can feel the magical residue." As he turned back around, Robin saw the anger and fear for Raven's safety in his eyes. Or maybe fear of never getting back the one who can save Azarath.

"How do we get there?"

Marius shook his head. "I don't know."

"Please," Starfire pleaded. "There must be some way."

Beast Boy and Cyborg stood silently, in shock and unsure.

"There may be one way," Marius said slowly.

"Why should we trust you?" Robin demanded. "You might send us to our death."

Marius sighed in exasperation. "Because, boy, I need Raven, too. And I can't send myself. Now choose."

"Choose what?"

"I can only send one person to their dimension. I can use the residue here to amplify and direct my own magic. But only one person. So, Titans, who will it be?"

They paused and turned to each other, then nodded.

"Me," Robin spoke firmly.

o

O O

o

It took half an hour to make the preparations. Marius' spell needed to be set up just right.

"Or you'll end up in a dimension with Azar-knows-what in it, with no way home," Marius stated grimly.

Although reluctant to waste time, the Titans had no choice but to acquiesce. Robin took the time to load up all the gadgets he might need, and mentally preparing himself. Cyborg whipped up a meal in the meantime.

"Even with the end of the world, there's no point in going hungry," he said, the ghost of what would normally be a smile on his face.

Finally, everything was ready. Marius led Robin to the centre of a circle drawn in chalk on the floor.

"Take this."

Robin looked down at the necklace Marius was putting around his neck. It was on a gold chain, a simple circle as a pendant, with a symbol he did not recognize.

"This will make you invisible. Press here to turn it on and off."

"This will keep me hidden from Damien and his men?"

"Hopefully. I cannot say how well it will work in that dimension."

"Great."

Marius went over to where he had set up a book, open to the page he needed.

"Ready yet?"

"One last thing: I cannot bring you back."

"What?" The Titans cried.

"Another ten minutes and this residue will be gone. I do not have the power to create an opening without it, nor would I know when and where."

"But Robin and Raven'll be trapped there," Cyborg cut in.

"Yes, how will they return?" Starfire asked, worried.

Marius held Robin's eyes. "Hope Raven is in fit shape. She is the only one with enough power."

Robin nodded curtly, trying to hide the thoughts in his head.

"You remember the release word?"

"Tengua."

"Good. Are you ready?"

Robin took one last look at the other Titans and nodded one more time.

Marius' voice rose in a chant, getting louder and louder until the final word.

"Kamilisha ."

As Robin faded away, the Titans heard him say quietly, as if to himself, "I guess it will just be me and my princess saving the world."

* * *

And a cliffhanger to end it! I don't think it would be the same without one. Hopefully the update time will not be so long before the next chapter this time...

Shameless plug time!  
I have a story Words, for the Teen Titans fandom. As of yet it has no reviews, and feedback on it is greatly appreciated. Go check it out, and review?

Remember to review this story: reviews make me happy, and happy authors are motivated, and motivated authors are productive!

Last: there is a challenge on my profile. It was in the last chapter of this story. One person has won but it's still open so if you want a request of yours written, check it out!

Until we meet again,  
Shay.


	17. Break

*comes out from behind a chair* Please don't kill me... I'm back though, that's good, right?

...Sorry I took so long, life has been kicking me around lately with hectice schedules that have made it hard to find time to write. Hopefully this will help make up for it. I won't say anything more, just let you all read it.

Review Replies:

cherry blosoom 16: Robin is rather silly but he's getting better and he won't stop fighting to get his Raven back. As for him knowing how Raven feels, I think he does know, he just won't admit it. And yes, I am also rather happy I've reached the point where Starfire is no longer the princess.  
She-Pirates-kick-BUTT: I'm so happy you're enjoying the fic so much, I'm glad you think so highly of it. And yeah, it's pretty much a pentagon at this point... Star loves Robin who loves Raven, and Marius and Beast Boy also do. That's five!  
blue-wasabi: I do love cliffhangars. This chapter does have one, but it's at least less of one than last chapter! And summer is coming, so I should be able to update sooner.

Thanks to: prewarmadness and StoriesForever

* * *

The first sight that greeted Robin's eyes was a throne. The throne was a brilliant blue with black decorations. It was like nothing he had ever seen. Sitting on it was Damien, dressed in elaborate robes. It reminded Robin of something, but he had no time to think. He immediately dove for cover, instinctively selecting the best option using his first, brief glances of the room. It had been part of his training.

He ended up behind another large chair, one standing beside Damien's throne. As he waited and no alarm was sounded, a thought struck him. He looked down at himself and breathed a silent sigh of relief when he saw nothing. The invisibility device had been activated before his materialization. No one knew he was here, and no one would know if he stayed quiet.

The protégée of Batman? No one would know.

Part of his caution dissipating, he stepped lightly back into the main area, scanning the room in more detail. It was a throne room, with ornate decorations and lush furnishings. The throne itself was detailed, a smaller, identical throne beside it. The other furniture was scarce but, while not as beautiful as the main chair, lovely. The layout was an oval, with several doors leading to unknown areas.

After absorbing his surroundings, Robin examined the inhabitants. As he saw initially, Damien was seated on the larger throne, and the adjacent one was vacant. A guard was posted at each door, and many stood in a half-circle surrounding a figure Robin knew so well.

He had to suppress a hiss of anger at the sight of Raven. Her uniform was torn and her slight body was covered in bruises. She had several cuts on her arms and exposed midriff. Despite this, his heart swelled when he saw the defiance contained in her fiery eyes. She glared at Damien with a controlled rage. He was returning her gaze calmly, but he had cold calculation in his eyes. Robin realized he had dropped in on a stand-off.

Having no conversation to listen to, he began to calculate possibilities and escape routes. He had just concluded a rescue from this room was nigh impossible when a guard entered through a door and whispered to Damien.

Damien turned back to Raven. "Our guests are about to arrive. One last chance: will you help us willingly?"

Her stare was all the answer he needed. Robin couldn't help but smile with pride.

Damien sighed. "This throne could be yours. And the empire throughout dimensions would be partially yours."

"And I would be your slave in every way, of course," she said curtly.

Damien waved off her comment. "After you help us destroy Earth's dimension, you will join us. You will have no choice."

Robing saw a flicker of fear in Raven's eyes which quickly hardened back into resolve. "How can you be so sure? Because my home will be gone? Because my friends will be dead? I'll hate you even more. And your beatings have yet to convince me."

"The beatings were designed to weaken you physically. The process of destroying a dimension," Damien leaned forward, eyes gleaming, "it will break you. Mentally and emotionally."

Raven faltered. Something about his voice made him impossible to doubt. Even Robin realized what Damien was saying: destroying an entire dimension would be so powerful and so taxing on Raven it would break the strongest will. Despite this, she held her head high, trying to conceal her shaking. "You don't know me."

"You're right. I don't." Damien gestured to the guard who had recently entered. "But they do."

The guard bowed, beckoning to three figures waiting outside. As they entered, Robin's heart stopped. He realized why Damien's robes seemed familiar.

"Raven," one said softly. "An honour to meet you."

"Who are you?" Raven asked, attempting to retain her defiant demeanour.

The man smiled. "Of course, you never met me." He walked over and bowed gracefully. "Perhaps this may aid you in figuring out my identity."

Raven shrank back a little from him, remaining silent.

" 'There is a threat coming that will threaten everyone. Only you and your princess can stop it.' " He smirked as her eyes widened, realizing what Robin had when the man first walked in. "Heron, princess Raven, at your service."

"No," Raven whispered. "It can't be. You were the one who—"

"Warned Robin about the coming threat? Indeed."

"But why? Why would you tell us?" Raven voiced the exact question Robin was thinking.

"We knew the prophecy. The princess could save Earth, but she was also the key to destroying it. We never told Robin the full prophecy."

"But why tell us anything? Just take us by surprise."

"We didn't know who the princess was."

"But we all thought Star—" Raven began, then stopped. A thought took her breath away. "You knew I was a princess."

"Of course. Even before the prophecy about the princess, we knew all about you. Everyone with any connection to the underworld does." He leaned in, whispering into her ear words that carried throughout the room. "We know about things that have happened to you that you are too ashamed to tell a soul about. We know about things you've done that you would never dare tell your friends about."

Raven turned deathly pale and collapsed to her knees. Robin jerked as she fell and the guards just let her. As much as he desired to leap forward and carry her away, they'd never make it out of this room alive. Robin shook in anger as Heron walked around Raven's trembling frame, settling behind her. He stroked her cheek, smiling as she flinched.

"We know about the last prophecy made about you. How much does it hurt to once again be an instrument of destruction, and to _still_ have no control?" The other two, who Robin had never heard speak, glided over and knelt beside Raven. "Now kneel before your new master."

Raven cried out as she was pushed down by Heron's companions, forced to bow to Damien. Heron placed his foot on her back, bending down over her.

"You have been close to the edge your whole life."

He took the weight off and pulled her up. Still behind her, he grabbed her arms as another had before.

"Bring back memories of Slade, Raven? Of being _powerless_?"

She closed her eyes, weakly trying to escape his grip.

"You are pathetic without your powers. You will yield."

He leaned in close, an inch from her cheek.

"You will join us."

He whirled her around, relishing the fear in her eyes.

"You will _break_."

Heron tossed her to the ground, then stood by Damien. Damien smiled an evil, satisfied smile. "Take her to a cell."

Robin, blood boiling, felt hope stir. A room full of guards was inescapable. A cell with at most one or two? Absolutely possible. He followed silently behind the group of guards escorting Raven. He wished desperately that he'd been able to say something to her, but the guards had always been too close. Right now, they formed a tight ring, although from what Robin could see, a shaking, stumbling Raven did not need it. Eventually they came to a dungeon. Robin paid close attention to the codes used to pass through the doors on the way as well as the route taken.

Raven was tossed roughly into a cell with bars. Robin narrowed his eyes. The cell was locked with an eye scanner, not a simple code. That might be challenging, but not insurmountable. The guards milled about, muttering. Robin moved closer to hear what they said too quietly for Raven's ears.

"—at her," one said. "She's not going anywhere."

"I dunno," another doubted. "The stories about this girl…"

"She's half broken already."

"That won't last."

"Yeah true, but I think it'll be better to leave her alone, so all she has are her thoughts."

"Good point." With that, the guards left, and Robin rejoiced.

As soon as they were a safe distance away, Robin burst with the word he'd been holding back.

"Raven!"

She put her hands over her ears, mumbling. "Now I'm hearing things…"

"Raven, it's Robin!"

"There's no one there, no one's here, no one's coming."

Robin turned off the invisibility device, appearing just outside the cell. Raven, startled, clapped her hands to her mouth to stifle a scream. "I'm here Raven."

"Robin!" She tumbled forward, grasping at him, feeling him. "You're here, I can feel you, you're actually here, you came for me."

Robin let her clutch onto him and babble, his heart exploding with relief and breaking at the same time. He had just wrapped his arms around her the best he could through the bars when she kissed him and set his world on fire.

* * *

And a cliffie! Yey! A bit less of one than last time, but I don't think I'm capable of ending a chapter not on a cliffhangar... God I love torturing my favourite characters. Nothing like a little psychological torture to make a story fun! XP

Remember to review! Reviews make authors happy, and happy authors write faster!

You know what would also make me happy! Go read and review my other Teen Titans story, "Words"!

Until we meet again,  
Shay.


	18. Escape?

All I have to say is I am so, so sorry this took so long. I won't offer excuses, I will just let you read. The good news is I have my muse back, so updates shouldn't be as long.

Review Replies:  
blue-wasabi: Yes, the poor girl just can't catch a break. :) I do think she has the most raw power out of the Titans, but she can't use it.  
cherry blosoom 16: Yes, he's given in to it now, and Raven certainly is in trouble!  
Lallette: 'Tis officially continued now!  
pisceanchic101: Actually, I wasn't 14, it was part of a plotline that, as I became better at writing as time went on, I abandoned as it was rather pointless. I'm pretty sure they're all 16.  
C de Hitsugaya: Had to use Google Translate to understand this, but thank you!  
She-Pirates kick-BUTT: Thank you so much! I suppose that's naturally what happens when you start your first fanfiction and firstly, write many others as you continue it, and secondly generally improve as a writer because it takes so long. :) Damien is such an ass...  
Karla12309: I really should update faster... I'm going to do my best from now on!

Thanks to: poppy, RxRFannnnn, StoriesForever, Sunshine-Midnight123, Nightlight753, Petale de Rose, and yooniessi!

* * *

His mind whirled as he processed their second kiss. It was as emotionally charged, but now an urgency pervaded it. He closed his eyes, knowing they'd have to break this soon, this connection that bound them so close. But God, it felt good. How had he pushed her away last time?

She had no thoughts, no thought out reason, just instinct. Emotions rushed through, overwhelming her.

Relief, caring, gratitude, fear, hope, desperation, fear, amazement, fear, pride, fear, lo—fear, fearfearfear.

She broke away, gasping. "What are you doing here? Why did you risk it? I'm not, oh God, I just... I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"Raven," Robin exhaled sharply. She stopped, face paler than usual. He kissed her briefly. "I'm here to save you, and to say I didn't mind you kissing me is an understatement."

"But Starfire..."

"Will understand."

"How did you get here?"

"Marius."

She blanched. "Robin, I am so sorry for not telling you about his and my past."

"It's in the past," he smiled.

"But, how are you getting back?"

"_We _are getting back. And that is up to you."

"No, Robin. Please tell me that's not true."

"Why? You can do it, I know you can."

"Not without killing everyone. These bracelets have been on for almost a hour. You saw what happened after two minutes. I'd never be able to control it."

Robin knelt there, still, for a moment, thinking. "What if you only took one off?"

"What?"

"Take one off. Some of your power will stay, but you'll be able to control some," Robin said with a grin.

"I can't take them off myself."

"I've got it," Robin gently took her hand, holding the bracelet to his lips. "Tengua."

Raven flinched as he eased it off her wrist. She felt a slow rush of power, grinning in exhilaration. She held her hand up, preparing to blow the lock off the door. As she drew on her energy, she could feel it, such a relief to have control.

"Stand back," she whispered, wanting to be careful. As he moved away, she took a deep breath. "Azarath, metrion, zinthos!"

Her power came rushing out, glad to be free of its bonds. Black tendrils had just touched the lock, breaking it—

Pain. _It hurt everywhere why did it hurt don't scream this shouldn't happen magic spilling out losing control Robin's there can't lose oh God stop the power NOW_

She gasped. Robin was looking at her, a worried look on his face.

"Are you alright?"

Dimly, she realized he was in the cell holding her. She must have succeeded in opening the cell. Through her haze, she felt the last tendrils of her power slither under her skin until it was hovering there. Although it didn't hurt, she feared to try to use it.

"Raven, what happened?"

"It was a minor issue. The lock is gone, let's go." She swept by him, shutting him out.

"Then phase us out of here."

She stopped dead, and he could see her shaking ever so slightly. He had her. "No."

"Look at me." She barely turned towards him. He came over to her and turned her the rest of the way. "You're allowed to be weak Raven."

"No, I'm not. My weakness would mean..." She couldn't finish. "Turn that back on."

Reluctantly, he left it at that and raised the invisibility device, speaking the command. Nothing happened. He frowned and tried again. "It won't turn on."

"We have to go without it." Her voice faltered. Raven did not want to risk running into Heron. She had to be strong.

"Are you sure?" He was concerned, putting a hand on her shoulder. She was so happy he felt the same, but there was so much else and if she opened herself up to that she would open herself up to other emotions.

"We have a job to do." She could see the suspicion and confusion. He didn't believe her. But he always had been the best at reading her, despite the monotone. "Emotion cannot get in the way." His hand tightened. He knew exactly what was going through her head. It's why she felt how she did.

"Raven, I'm going to get you out of here, I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Robin. Do you have any idea how to get out?"

"I know how to get out of this dungeon."

Without another word she shrugged off his hand and indicated for him to lead. He walked past her but grabbed her hand. As she turned her blank look on him, he smiled slightly.

"I'm not losing you again."

Her eyes narrowed in confusion, then acceptance. They wove through the hallways silently, Robin slightly in front. They ducked from shadow to shadow. There were few guards, and those that were there were easy to avoid. But as much as Robin wanted to stop and make sure Raven was alright, he couldn't. Not if they wanted to make it out.

Voices. Not just one or two, but at least five judging by the volume of their steps. All headed their way. Assessing the situation quickly, Robin chose a door marked "Storage" and ducked through it, pulling Raven behind. He gently shut the door.

_1. 2. Footsteps passing. 1. 2. 3. 4. Out of range. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8—_

Alarm bells. He cursed under his breath. As he turned to Raven, he noticed that while her face was impassive, her eyes were wider than normal.

"Calm down," he kept his voice low.

"I'm perfectly calm."

"Of course. Is there a vent in here?"

As they searched quietly but desperately, they could hear the searchers moving through the halls.

"Got it," Robin hissed, pointing to a vent near the floor. "I just need to open it."

As he struggled with the vent, Raven kept a fearful eye on the door.

"Robin." Barely there.

"Almost."

No air to speak. "Robin."

"Got it! Come on!"

"Robin!" She hissed.

He finally looked and heard what she did. "Shit. Get in."

He climbed in and held out a hand. As she took it, four things happened.

The door to the room slammed open, and a few people stood in the doorway. Although they called out, it was only briefly and was lost in the cacophony of the search. One lunged for Raven.

Raven instinctively lashed out with her magic, creating a wave of black energy that pushed the invaders back against the wall, knocking them out.

Raven didn't feel any pain, and swiftly crawled fully into the vent, bringing the vent cover into place with her magic.

Robin pulled her a bit into the vent when he saw the door open. Before he got very far, he was stopped by pain.

Raven kneeled there, panting for a moment, before turning to Robin. "My powers, I used them and it didn't—"

She stopped short as she saw him bent in half, one hand on his head, one still clutching hers. His eyes, screwed up in pain under his mask.

"Robin!"

* * *

Ah, more cliffhangars. I do adore them. The story is winding down now, more or less, we're coming close to the conclusion. Thank you for sticking with me through this!

Until we meet again,  
Shay Blair


End file.
